Benjamin Figgis

Hamad bin Khalifa University, Murdoch University

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Benjamin Figgis is a leading researcher at the intersection of photovoltaic (PV) operations and robotics, specializing in the automation of solar plant maintenance. His work addresses the critical challenge of keeping utility-scale solar farms—often comprising over a million modules—efficient and cost-effective. Figgis’s major contributions center on the development and assessment of robotic cleaning and inspection technologies. His most cited paper, “PV module vibration by robotic cleaning” (2023, 19 citations), explores the mechanical impacts of automated cleaning on module integrity. He has also advanced the field with a comprehensive “Review of unmanned ground vehicles for PV plant inspection” (2025, 10 citations), which highlights the growing need for automated monitoring as an alternative to drone-based thermal imaging. Notably, his research on “Abrasion of PV Antireflective Coatings by Robot Cleaning” (2024, 6 citations) bridges the gap between accelerated lab tests and real-world field conditions, providing essential data on the durability of module coatings under robotic maintenance. Additionally, his study on the “Effect of cleaning robot’s moving shadow on PV string” (2023, 4 citations) examines the electrical impacts of robotic operations. Through these works, Figgis is shaping the future of autonomous solar plant management, ensuring that large-scale PV installations remain both reliable and economically viable.