The rapid acceptance of solar photovoltaic (PV) energy across various countries has created a pressing need for more coordinated approaches to the sustainable monitoring and maintenance of these widely distributed installations. To address this challenge, several digitization architectures have been proposed, with one of the most recently applied being the digital twin (DT) system architecture. DTs have proven effective in predictive maintenance, rapid prototyping, efficient manufacturing, and reliable system monitoring. However, while the DT concept is well established in fields like wind energy conversion and monitoring, its scope of implementation in PV remains quite limited. Additionally, the recent increased adoption of autonomous platforms, particularly robotics, has expanded the scope of PV management and revealed gaps in real-time monitoring needs. DT platforms can be redesigned to ease such applications and enable integration into the broader energy network. This work provides a system-level overview of current trends, challenges, and future opportunities for DTs within renewable energy systems, focusing on PV systems. It also highlights how advances in artificial intelligence (AI), the internet-of-Things (IoT), and autonomous systems can be leveraged to create a digitally connected energy infrastructure that supports sustainable energy supply and maintenance.

While there is evidence of substantial improvement in efficiency and cost reduction from the integration of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Drones (RAID) in solar installations; it is observed that there is limited oversight by international standards such as the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in terms of the hazards and untapped potentials. This is partly because it is an emerging application and generally burdened with social acceptability issues. Thus, the safety regulations applied are adaptations of device-specific regulations as deemed fit by individual companies. Also, due to the fast-paced technological development of these platforms, there is huge potential for applications that are not currently supported by the device-specific regulations. This creates a multi-faceted demand for the establishment of standardized, industry-wide polices and guidelines on the use of RAID platforms for Solar PV integrations. This work aims to address critical safety concerns by conducting a comprehensive high-level system examination applicable to the monitoring and maintenance of Solar PV systems. Standard safety assurance models and approaches are examined to provide a safe autonomy perspective for Solar PVs. It is considered that, as RAID applications continue to evolve and become more prevalent in the Solar PV industry, standardized protocols or policies would be established to ensure safe and reliable operations.