From the beginning, the team at e3 Power has understood the potential for drone inspection services in the energy industry. One of the biggest areas where remote drones can make a difference for homeowners and commercial business owners is solar panel inspection.
This might seem obvious, but a solar panel that isn’t operating correctly needs to be replaced or repaired, and monitoring systems can’t always catch issues. Inspecting a solar panel using a remote-controlled drone outfitted with infrared thermal cameras allows you to quickly identify cells with heat fissures or cracks, because of the difference in heat output compared to a working cell.
Here’s why drone solar inspections are better than manual inspections, whether you’re a homeowner or a commercial solar farm owner or operator.
#1: Inspecting Solar Panels is Safer Using Drones
To inspect the solar panels on your roof, someone would traditionally have to climb up and take a closer look, which can be dangerous work. The inspector would likely need special equipment, including a ladder and harnesses, in case they get hurt. You don’t need any of that with a remote-controlled drone!
#2: Inspecting Solar Panels is More Efficient Using Drones
Not only are drones safer than having a human inspect your solar panels on top of your rooftop, but they’re much faster, too. Think about all of the set-up required for an inspector to safely move around your roof to look at all your panels. A drone can quickly and accurately get the information you need to determine if you have any issues with your solar panels, saving you time and money.
#3: Drones Can Collect Lots of Data About Your Solar Panels
Remote drones can take infrared pictures from many different angles, giving you insights into your solar panels and roof that might be difficult for a human to get, even once they were on your roof. They’ll be able to easily share photos with their crew as well as you, the customer, to show you exactly what they find and whether you’ll need to schedule solar repair services.
#4: Drone Inspections Can Evaluate Your Roof BEFORE Solar Panels Are Installed
Drones aren’t only useful after you’ve had solar panels installed on your roof. An aerial solar assessment of your roof can also be done prior to solar panel installation. The last thing you want to do is install solar panels onto a roof that has a leak or will need to be replaced in the next few years—temporarily removing panels to do roof work is expensive.
With a remote drone roof inspection, you can be sure that your roof is in good condition and that you’ll be able to leave your solar panels up and running on top of your home for decades of energy savings.
#5: Drone Inspections Have Even More Benefits for Commercial Solar Farms
Everything we’ve mentioned so far has revolved primarily around residential solar panel inspections, but the benefits are even greater for larger solar farms.
Commercial solar farms involve massive numbers of solar panels. Inspecting those panels manually is a slow, expensive, and time-consuming process, and often solar farms are only able inspect a small percentage of the total panels to make estimates about the entire solar farm based on that representative sample.
But remote drones can quickly and accurately find ALL damaged and malfunctioning panels, saving you lots of money and time while increasing the overall efficiency of your commercial solar farm.
Schedule Your Drone Solar Inspection Today with e3 Power
At e3 Power, we take drone inspection services seriously! Our drones are outfitted with Flir XT2 cameras, one of the highest resolution SUAS thermal imaging cameras available. Our drone operator has a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA and is a Level 1 Certified Thermographer. Whether you are a Denver homeowner looking to have the solar panels on your roof inspected or a Colorado solar farm owner who needs to quickly and accurately review your panel performance, reach out today to learn more about our pricing and to schedule an appointment.
