question_answer

	Read the following passage and answer the questions that follows:
	Solar energy has long struggled to compete with fossil fuels due to the high cost of solar panel production, installation and maintenance.
	It is here that robots made their entry and have come in handy.
	The auto industry and many other solar companies have automated the production of photovoltaic (PV) panels with robots that are more cost effective and precise. This has led to a fall in price of solar energy in recent years.
	However, the savings generated by robotic production alone have not been enough to create widespread availability. In order to create a competitive edge, many companies had to look to other areas to cut costs.
	Solar company Alion has developed the "Rover," a robot that can install solar panels rows along concrete bases using only an operator and a small team to create the foundation. The robot can work continuously in the hot, sunny areas where solar panels necessarily have to be installed. This brings down the cost of installation and materials by 75 per cent over conventional methods. Once installation is complete, other robots take over the maintenance of the panels by moving across each row to wash away any surface material that may reduce the efficiency of the panel - a time-consuming task previously done by teams of people with hoses. This robotic maintenance technology is improving.
	Robotic innovation is not restricted to the solar industry. Competitors in energy field like mining, oil and gas industries ? are also seeking to integrate robots to cut down on their costs. Driverless trucks and trains in mines today are used to cut cost, eliminating the need to pay operators, Similarly, companies across the mining industry are looking to replace human workers at the face of the mines with robotic technology as conditions hundreds of metres below ground are often extremely dangerous. Robotic technology can be remotely operated and is cheaper.
	In Canada, rig robots can now assemble an entire down-hole assembly system for obtaining oil at the bottom of the sea. Other welding robots have become more sophisticated and require near little help when making repairs. Robotics companies are now trying to replace manpower by fully automating the entire drilling process from the floor to retrieval.
	The adoption of robots in the fossil fuel industry may slow solar integration in the near future by boosting competitors, but won't be able to stop it. Developed countries have committed themselves to renewable energy resources. The U.S. recently donated $4 billion in private sector funding for innovations. In emerging energy markets, solar innovations are becoming more sustainable and affordable than fossil fuels.
(ii) Complete the following statements with one word or phrase:
(a) Robotic technology is beneficial for mining industry because it can now get the dangerous part of the job done by robots without risking the life of human beings. Also because robotic technology can be __
(b) Solar energy is not only renewable source of energy but also more ___.
(c) Another word used in the passage which means the same as distantly is ___.
(d) ___ is a system in which work is done with mechanical or electronic equipment and not human beings.

Answer:

(ii) (a) remotely operated and is cheaper.

(b) sustainable

(c) remotely

(d) automation.