Xpanner introduces X1 Panel Lift intelligent automation system for solar panel installation

Construction automation company Xpanner announced the release of its X1 Panel Lift.

The company said that the X1 Panel Lift is an intelligent, excavator-based panel installation system engineered to address one of the solar industry's most persistent constraints: the availability of skilled installation labor at scale.

Xpanner said that the platform, which was previously deployed on pile drivers for solar piling applications, has now been expanded to automate panel lifting and placement as well.

Automation in solar energy installation

The company said that utility-scale solar projects depend on large crews to manually carry, position and place heavy panels across thousands of module locations. That work is physically demanding, slows down as crews fatigue, and requires ongoing training to keep pace with project timelines.

Xpanner said that the X1 Panel Lift is designed to take on this repetitive material handling directly, allowing installation crews to spend their time on the higher-value work of aligning, fastening and quality-checking each panel.

“Solar installation has long been held back by its dependence on large skilled crews and complex equipment setups,” said Henri Lee, co-founder & CEO of Xpanner. “Our solution changes that equation entirely, and now handles not just solar piling, but panel lifting as well. One machine, one button, one workflow, any operator can run it from day one.”

The company said that the X1 Panel Lift transports the PV panel box, picks panels directly from it and installs them using a single excavator, without the need for separate feeder equipment such as a compact track loader or forklift. By combining panel transport, pick and placement into one machine, Xpanner said that the X1 reduces the number of pieces of equipment and specialized roles a project needs to keep an installation crew productive.

Its one-button automated workflow guides the operator through the full installation sequence, pick-up, lifting, placement and pre-release, through a visual interface that requires no specialized training, helping contractors staff and scale crews more easily in a tight labor market.

Xpanner stated that the X1 automates repetitive panel handling while maintaining full operator control through a simple remote interface. Rather than replacing the installer, the company said that the system assists the crew with automated vacuum handling and assisted panel positioning. At the same time, Xpanner said that the built-in Precision Align Assist helps ensure consistent, uniform panel placement across every cycle. Sensor-controlled handling is designed to maintain the same precision and pace from the first panel to the last, and a standardized installation sequence with audible and visual cues helps crews follow a repeatable process on every job.

The X1 is powered by Mango, Xpanner's proprietary automation controller, which the company said is built for real-time decision-making and precision control across hydraulic, electric and mechanical systems. The system fuses data from lidar, vision and GNSS sensors to build a live 3D model of the jobsite, giving it the situational awareness needed to hold consistent output across variable field conditions.

Xpanner offers the X1 Panel Lift under a single, all-inclusive subscription that covers hardware, the X1 kit and license, Xpanner Connect software, and on-site field operations support (XFO).