Voltaire Power offers solar energy asset owners cost-effective Drone (UAV) Inspections powered by AI analytics. This service enables rapid inspection of solar power plants of all sizes without need for time-consuming (and more labor/cost-intensive) on foot inspections. Leveraging industry-leading AI analytics, we provide asset owners with granular-level reports on the performance of their PV system. Voltaire Power Drone Inspection reports, delivered with a level of detail to satisfy any warranty concerns, offers solar energy asset owners actionable insights for preventative or corrective maintenance to ensure optimal return on investment.
Voltaire Power can create a digital model of your plant based on your ‘as built’ drawing and overlay it with images taken methodically over the entire plant. The composite image (technically an orthographic image) is available as part of the analysis that we conduct and report upon. Our objective here is to quickly and comprehensively identify array issues, without a time-consuming inspection on foot.
Voltaire Power applies machine learning and AI analytics to assess the thousands of images collected in our Drone inspection. This granular analysis enables asset owners to plan the best use of available resources for specific targeting and remediation.
Significant time (and cost) savings accrue from this innovative re-engineering of problem identification — an average of 10 minutes per MW. By comparison, I-V curve tracing can take 4 or 5 hours per MW, or 2 – 3 hours if higher voltage.
Clearly, even considering time required for drone set-up and battery exchanges, aerial thermography is an order of magnitude faster than traditional inspection methods. I-V curve tracing of combiners or strings entails isolating the target from the energized system and so interrupts the production of power. Aerial thermography is non-invasive, enabling the string or combiner to be online (ensuring no unnecessary downtime), while inspection is conducted safely at arms-length (above) from the solar plant.
Consider the labor costs involved with technicians conducting an I-V curve test. This necessitates extensive field experience to conduct the tests and then accurately interpret the results on-site. Moreover, a licenced technician will need appropriate PPE, with additional personnel on-site to watch for any potential risk of electrocution.
In comparison, Voltaire Power needs only a licensed drone pilot to operate the drone in accordance with local regulations and asset owner’s specification. Drone flights are automated in accordance with preliminary site planning, ensuring detailed analysis with no human error. The pilot can be stationed a safe distance away from the solar energy plant, while the drone collects the data without any contact with solar panels or equipment.
Voltaire Power’s Drone Inspection Service is scalable up or down depending on the size of your PV plant. A range of issues can be identified in our analysis, including (but not limited to): Cell level, diodes, string level, cracking and shading. We can benchmark report findings against a database, enabling more actionable insights for your project and portfolio. Voltaire Power provides asset owners with detailed, standardized and transparent reports — informed by AI analytics — enabling more accurate interpretation of the results of our aerial thermography. For example, there are typically 200 data sets per MW requiring analysis. However, with the assistance of AI-powered software processing, aerial thermography can be scaled exponentially.
In sum…from planning, to data collection, to report generation…Voltaire Power’s Drone Inspection service with aerial thermography can be conducted in shorter time, with less cost, yielding more accurate and granular actionable insights than traditional I-V curve tracing today.
For asset owners, the result is a faster turn-around on fault remediation, and a quicker return to energy production, and optimal return on investment.
Voltaire Power also provides this service to create a clear record of assets and portfolios to expedite mergers, acquisitions and any contracting on your solar plant.
Learn more about this service.