PV control with drone-mounted thermal camera
Thermal camera recordings – the key to maintaining performance
A decline in production due to inaccurately identified issues based on system data is a common challenge for solar park operators.
Yield monitoring software can determine the declining rate of production, but the root cause of the problem cannot be traced this way. This is because the cause will be linked to a physical failure in one or more solar panels.
However, inspecting the panels one by one is a long and tedious job, even in the case of a smaller 0.5 MW solar park. Furthermore, the most common failures are hotspots and micro cracks that are invisible to the naked eye.
The solution to this and to reducing time spent is thermal camera recordings and analytical analysis.
Here’s how the process works:
Thermal camera recordings
At Gershoj Energia, we use a high-capacity drone with a thermal imager to examine your PV panels. The drone flies over the PV park and records temperature variations within each panel in very high detail. As faulty solar panel parts operate at different temperatures, any variations are immediately visible in the images. The drone also records the GPS coordinates of the flight to ensure problem panels are easily located.
The benefits of Gershoj Energia analysis
Operating a solar park is financially similar to having a long-term return on a fixed-rate investment. It’s not enough to simply establish the sources of production decline, you need to calculate both the deterioration in yields so far and the change in the future payback period.
We use sophisticated software to carry out the root cause analysis and highly experienced engineers to review the findings. We then include suggestions for actions you might need to take to maintain and improve on your park’s performance.
Based on the data collected on site, we perform a detailed trend analysis of performance and production deterioration. This allows us to better assess long-term production trends and the potential for preventive maintenance. We can also identify future system-level problems at an early stage and provide support for warranty and insurance claims.
Consistent, high-quality on-site data collection and diagnostic reports allow you to make informed decisions about maintenance and repairs. Our analysis reports show you the bottom-up financial implications of any system faults identified during the analysis process.
Keeping up with industry changes
With the help of our consulting teams, we keep track of the latest industry research on module reliability. We are constantly improving our services and adapting them to new technological discoveries, ensuring that our analytics are evolving as fast as the solar industry.
We strive to be the most reliable source of analysts for our renewable energy partners. We achieve this by clearly explaining complex processes and ensuring economic sustainability.
A 3-step process
The entire analysis process can be carried out in just a few weeks, weather permitting, and in just three steps.
- Inspection: Identify critical system-level issues. Provide high quality and consistent data recordings with drone aerial recordings through a thermal imager.
- Analysis: Evaluation based on survey data with industry-leading analyst software and experts. We would provide you with a detailed report.
- Action: The purpose of our reports is to encourage action and increase the returns of the system. Accurate fault identification reduces operating costs, increases repair efficiency, and supports documenting warranty and insurance claims.
In Hungary, analysis is never far away
Our fleet of drones uses DJI’s flagship M300 model and thermal imagery capabilities.
No matter where your solar park is located, we can reach any destination within Hungary promptly, thanks to our convenient location between Budapest and Vienna.
If faults are identified, we have tools to perform IV Measurement up to 1,500 volts on your strings. Click here to learn more.
