Cost of Thermographic Inspection of Solar Power Plants

Solar power plant facilities consist of solar panels, inverters, cables and other components.

Solar panels need regular maintenance and repair to operate efficiently. Thermographic inspection is a method used to detect malfunctions that may occur in solar panels. In this method, thermal images of solar panels are taken and temperature differences are examined.

The cost of thermographic inspection in solar power plants varies depending on the size of the facility, the equipment used and the scope of the inspection. MapperX, you can have thermal inspection of your solar power plants by utilizing drone services. With MapperX software, it performs error detection from thermal data and then presents it to users in world-class reports.

Factors affecting the cost of thermographic inspection are as follows:

• The size of the facility: The larger the facility, the higher the cost of the inspection.
• Equipment used: Companies using high-resolution thermal drones charge more than companies using lower resolution cameras.
• Scope of the inspection: Will only the solar panels be inspected or will the entire installation be inspected? If the entire solar plant is inspected, the cost will be higher.

Thermographic inspection is an important tool to improve the efficiency and reliability of solar power plants. Thanks to thermal inspection, malfunctions that may occur in solar panels can be detected early and major losses can be prevented.

Advantages of Thermographic Inspection

Thermographic inspection has the following advantages for solar power plants:

• Early fault detection: Thermographic inspection detects malfunctions that may occur in solar panels at an early stage, preventing major losses.
• Time and cost savings: Thermographic inspection is faster and less costly than traditional maintenance and repair methods that take months.
• Personnel safety: Since thermographic inspection does not require manpower, it increases personnel safety.

For solar power plants, thermographic inspection is an important tool to increase efficiency and reliability. Aerial thermal inspection can prevent major losses by detecting malfunctions that may occur in solar panels at an early stage.

Thermographic Inspection with Drone in Solar Power Plants

Solar panels can fail over time for a variety of reasons. Failures can reduce energy production by reducing the efficiency of the panels.

Various methods are used to detect failures of solar panels. One of these is inspection with a thermal drone. A thermal drone is a device that measures the temperature of objects. Inspection with a thermal drone detects hot spots on solar panels. Hot spots indicate the presence of a malfunction in the panels.

Inspection with a thermal camera in solar power plants is usually done with a drone. The drone flies close to the solar panels and acquires thermal images. The data is then transferred to a MapperX software and analyzed in detail.

Advantages of Drone Thermographic Inspection in Solar Power Plants

Examination with a drone and thermal camera has many advantages. Some of these advantages include:

It is fast and efficient: The drone can scan a large area of solar panels in a short time. This allows for a faster and more efficient inspection than traditional methods.

Contactless: The drone performs the inspection without touching the solar panels. This reduces the risk of damaging PV panels.

A large area can be reached: The drone can also inspect hard-to-reach areas of solar panels.

Stages of Thermographic Inspection with Drone in Solar Power Plants

• Inspection of solar power plants with a drone and thermal camera includes the following stages:
• Weather check: On the day of the thermal inspection, the weather conditions must be favorable. Wind gusts should not exceed 15 km/h.
• Preparation of the drone: The drone must be equipped with the necessary thermal camera and other equipment.
• Flying the drone: Thermal images are acquired by flying the drone over the solar panels in accordance with MapperX’s flight instructions.
• Analyzing the images: The acquired images are transferred to a cloud and analyzed.
• Reporting: Analysis results are presented to the relevant parties in a detailed report with MapperX.

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