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IndustrySolar panel inspection by drone: find hot spots across the plant
A faulty panel can look normal, and checking thousands by hand takes too long.
How do drones inspect solar panels?
Solar plants can have thousands of panels across a large site. Many faults are not visible to the eye, so they can reduce output for a long time before anyone finds them.
A thermal camera shows temperature differences. A panel or cell running hotter than those around it may have a fault that needs checking.
Conditions matter: thermal inspection works best when panels are producing power under good sunlight. Engineers then confirm the flagged panels on the ground.
Signs you have this problem
- Plant output is lower than expected and the cause is unclear
- Only a small sample of panels gets checked
- Inspections take days or disturb operations
- You have no panel-level fault history
What to look for
- A thermal camera suited to panel-level detail
- Automated, repeatable flight routes
- Reports that locate each defect
- Flights planned for good sunlight
The main causes
Scale
Thousands of panels are too many to check closely by hand.
Invisible faults
A panel can look fine yet run hotter than its neighbours.
No history
Without repeat data, it is hard to see what has changed.
Before and after
How to solve it, step by step
- 1
Plan
Set an automated route over the arrays.
- 2
Scan
Capture thermal and visual images.
- 3
Tag
Mark suspected faults by location.
- 4
Repeat
Fly the same route to track changes.
Common questions
What faults can a thermal drone find?
It can reveal hot spots, which may indicate problems such as damaged cells, soiling or connection issues. An engineer confirms the cause.
Does the plant need to stop?
No. Thermal inspection generally needs panels to be producing power.
How often should a plant be inspected?
It depends on the plant and its maintenance plan. Repeat flights are useful because they show change over time.
Related problems
Long power lines to inspect
Transmission lines run for kilometres across difficult land, and climbing each tower is slow and risky.
Read moreSlow land surveys
Ground surveys are slow, hard over rough terrain, and only capture the points someone walked to.
Read moreRisky, slow inspections
Climbing a tower or shutting down an array just to inspect it is slow, costly and dangerous.
Read moreFacing this problem?
Tell us about your mission and our engineers will suggest the right platform or configuration.