It is remarkable the pace at which solar energy is developing. It is expected to grow by 20% globally by the end of 2026.
Owners of solar and photovoltaic systems should regularly inspect and maintain their condition. In this way, various problems can be identified in time, costly repairs along the chain and large losses can be prevented.
Previously, these inspections were mainly carried out with handheld cameras and tracking technologies. Today, however, you can take advantage of the convenience and efficiency that drones offer for your inspection purposes.
Advantages of inspecting PV systems with drones
High quality images
Drones operate with high-quality thermal cameras that can capture images with remarkable detail and an accuracy of ±2°C.
Saving time
Inspections with drones require fewer human resources and definitely happen much faster, saving precious time.
Less risk
Using drones involves much less risk than if the inspection is done by humans or other machinery, especially if the PV installation is located on a difficult terrain.
More reliable inspections
Traditional inspections have more oversights. Drones can detect many common problems in PV and solar systems such as:
- Defective modules
If the system has defective modules, it will not work efficiently. Thanks to drones you can detect the faulty solar cells.
- Cracks
Cracks can sometimes appear in solar and photovoltaic systems due to weather conditions.
- Defective inverters
A major cause of PV system failures is faulty inverters. This type of failure can be detected by infrared air inspections.
- PV string breaks
Another significant failure can be a defect in the PV strings. On average, about 25% of failures in these systems are detected by drones.
- Defective trackers
These are elements that rotate the panels towards the sunlight. As many as 31% of failures occur in trackers.
- Reverse polarity
In case the electric current flows in the opposite direction, solar modules and inverters can be damaged. Infrared cameras on drones can detect reverse polarity.
Which drones are best suited for PV system inspection?
DJI Mavic 3T
DJI Mavic 3T is one of DJI's newest industrial drones with a thermal camera that is a perfect choice for thermal inspections. The drone is also well suited for search and rescue operations.
Compared to its predecessor, M3T has an improved camera with 48 MP, 4/3“ CMOS and a mechanical shutter. It provides a wider view and thanks to its larger sensor it can collect more data. This makes the drone ideal for mapping and photogrammetry.
It also increases the drone's ability to operate in lower light conditions.
Flight time has been improved to 45 minutes and the device has a new 56x Hybrid Zoom.
DJI MATRICE 30T
DJI MATRICE 30T is an industrial drone you can rely on even in extreme weather conditions. Its rugged construction can withstand temperatures from -20°C to 50°C and is extremely weatherproof.
You can operate the drone even in 15 m/s winds. In addition, the DJI MATRICE 30T is easily portable with its compact, foldable design and you can set up and configure it in just 30 minutes. It features built-in DJI Pilot 2 software and has IP54 protection, which means it's water and dust resistant.
The DJI M30T is equipped with a 640x512 px resolution thermal camera and a 9.1 mm lens. The camera also has a frame rate of 30 fps and an equivalent focal length of 40 mm.
The DJI M30T has impressive specs. With a maximum flight speed of 23 m/s, a maximum flight time of 41 minutes and a range of 7 km you can cover large PV systems in a short time. In case the battery charge runs out, the DJI M30T comes with quick-change batteries, and the battery can be recharged in just 25 minutes.
The DJI M30T makes real-time thermal imaging extremely precise and easy.
DJI ZENMUSE H20T camera for DJI Matrice 300 RTK
For PV inspections, the DJI Zenmuse H20T camera is an ideal solution as it is a four-sensor solution – a 20 MP zoom camera, a 12 MP wide angle camera, a 1200m LRF (laser rangefinder) and a 640×512 radiometric thermal camera. It is an amazing solution, capable of completing a really wide range of missions.
With it, you can make accurate thermal measurements, mark a specific point on an object to get real-time information about its surface temperature. You can also find out what are the lowest, average and highest temperatures of a selected area.
DJI ZENMUSE P1 camera
DJI Zenmuse P1 combines a full-frame sensor with interchangeable lenses with fixed focus on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal. This high-performance camera allows you to capture data with centimeter-level accuracy with real-time positioning and orientation technology.
With it, you can count on extremely efficient and precise flight missions thanks to the full-frame 45MP CMOS sensor with the ability to capture an image every 0.7 seconds during flight.
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