A Drone Service Provider

SOLAR PANEL INSPECTIONS

Frequency of Inspections

Inspections for preventive maintenance are usually done annually to identify issues that could impair the performance of solar systems. Drones can identify hot spots, cracks, dirt buildup, and damage on solar panels/farms much more efficiently and safer than manual inspections. 

Certain conditions could require more frequent inspections. Constant exposure to harsh environmental conditions, such wildfires, high winds, flooding, extremely high temperatures, humidity, heavy snowfall, hail, and salt air can affect solar components. Additional inspections can ensure that the system is operating safely and efficiently and minimize the rise of problems.

Another important factor that detemines the frequency of inspections is whether existing production is significantly less than normal. A decrease can signal problems with the system, such as soil on the panels, shading of the panels, or damage to the electrial systems. Monitoring the performance of the system on a regular basis can help detect and prevent any potential issues. 

Inspection Process

Drones with thermal (infrared) cameras fly a pre-programmed path over the solar farm or roof to capture temperature variances which can signal cell damage or other issues.

Using specialized software to process the collected data in-house, AmFlight technicians analyze the images and create a report for the owner to help plan maintenance for optimization of the performance of the solar system.

Benefits of Using Drones

  • Using drones for inspections eliminates the need for workers to climb on rooftops or to go near live wires or high heat on solar farms.

  • Drones can captures data over large areas in a fraction of the time required for traditional methods, significantly reducing down time and labor costs.

  • Drones can detect a wider range of issues, such as thermal abnormalities or micro-cracks, with greater precision than with manual inspections.

  • Drones collect large volumes of high quality data which are processed into a reporting format.

Warranty Compliance

Many solar panel systems have a manufacturer’s warranty that requires regular inspections and maintenance to remain valid. Neglecting these inspections may void your warranty, making you financially responsible for future repairs or replacements. So it’s critical that you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for inspections and maintenance.

Businesses can monitor the repairs and ongoing performance of the panels while looking for trends in problems that could necessitate more frequent inspections.

All of which will continue to help minimize the impact of any problems, prevent further damage, and mitigate plant downtime.

  • Safety: Reduces the risk to personnel by eliminating the need for manual inspections in potentially dangerous locations.

  • Efficiency: Inspects large areas much faster than traditional methods, significantly reducing downtime and labor costs.

  • Accuracy: Detects a wider range of issues with greater precision, including micro-cracks and thermal anomalies that might be missed in a ground-level inspection.

  • Comprehensive Data: Collects large volumes of consistent, high-quality data for a thorough analysis of the entire installation.