Gritt and MasTec bring bolt-on AI robot arms to US solar construction sites

On 10 November 2026, MasTec Renewables and Gritt announced that Gritt's AI-powered robotic arms will be deployed across MasTec's utility-scale solar projects in several US states. MasTec first tested the systems on active sites, where they helped install megawatts of solar panels. No financial terms were disclosed. It is Gritt's second named partner in about three months, after Burns & McDonnell signed a similar deal in August following a year of trials.

How the system works

The arms bolt onto equipment that crews already own, such as skid steers and forklifts, and are used to lift and place panels. According to the companies, the AI learns tasks such as picking, placing, assembly and material transport, while craft workers guide and validate the work. The system also monitors activity on site to support planning. Gritt says its systems have worked in rain, desert and snow.

This differs from a purpose-built robot that replaces the machine on site. Because the attachment rides on existing carriers, a contractor can add it to a fleet without buying new vehicles, which lowers the cost of a trial and makes it easier to move the kit between sites.

What the figures do and do not show

MasTec's announcement gives no panel count, gigawatt total, number of states or contract value. Rob Turner, vice president of construction at MasTec Renewables, said the company had "evaluated Gritt systems on active construction sites". Gritt's July 2026 funding announcement claimed that crews can place 3,000 to 4,000 panels a day with the robots, against about 800 without them. Those figures come from the company and have not been independently verified. Gritt also says it has worked with three of the ten largest US power construction firms, without naming them.

Why it matters for delivery teams

Solar construction repeats the same handling tasks across thousands of identical components, which makes it a practical first market for physical AI. The questions that matter for project teams are the ones the announcement leaves open: panel breakage rates, how robot work is recorded in schedule and quality logs, and how one attachment can be shared across crews and sites. A BIM or digital twin team can prepare now by linking installation sequences and panel layouts to the model, so that each robotic task can be checked against the design and recorded where the work happens.

Image: Solar farm under construction at West Raynham, England. Photo: Richard Humphrey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.