PV-Thermografie bundesweit: Inspektionen in ganz Deutschland

Charged Elements GmbH carries out thermographic PV inspections throughout Germany – from the North Sea coast to Bavaria, from NRW to Saxony. Travel costs are calculated transparently by distance and are calculable immediately in the price calculator before enquiring. The same inspection quality and standards-compliant reports to IEC TS 62446-3 regardless of location.

Nationwide service: how it works

Charged Elements GmbH is headquartered in Hamburg – but our deployment area does not end at the city limits. We carry out thermographic PV inspections throughout Germany, from the North Sea coast to the Alpine foothills, from the Eifel to Lusatia. The principle is simple: travel costs are calculated transparently by distance and are calculable before enquiring in the price calculator on the homepage sofort kalkulierbar.

For systems in northern Germany our Hamburg location means minimal travel costs – the first 15 km are free, beyond that we charge €1.00 per kilometre for the return trip. For a system in Munich (approx. 780 km) approximately €1,530 in travel costs would be added to the base price. For large solar farms from 750 kWp this amount is quickly put into perspective – the inspection quality is the same as on the doorstep.

For large projects from several MWp or for multiple systems of the same operator in different regions we prepare individual quotes with optimised route planning. Multiple systems in one trip means considerably lower per-site costs for the customer.

Fahrtkosten transparent kalkuliert

No surprises, no flat-rate surcharges: our travel cost model is one of the most transparent in the market. The price calculator on the homepage calculates the route via a real-time routing service from our location and immediately shows the total price including travel costs.

For large systems from 250 kWp travel costs are quickly amortised: the share of travel costs in the total price for a 250 kWp system in Frankfurt is below 30%. For a 1 MWp solar farm in Bavaria it is even lower.

Regions and focus areas

We operate throughout Germany. Depending on the region there are different system focuses and climatic characteristics that we take into account in our inspections:

Norddeutschland: Our core area. Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Characteristics: high humidity, salt air near the coast, increased PID risk, bird droppings from gulls and starlings. Fastest scheduling, lowest travel costs.

Nordrhein-Westfalen: Largest federal state by population with high commercial density. Many logistics centres, industrial halls and commercial parks with rooftop PV in the Ruhr area and the Cologne Bay. High potential for regular maintenance contracts.

Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg: The sunniest federal states with the highest installed PV capacity in Germany. Many ground-mounted and agricultural systems. The higher solar irradiance also causes thermally induced defects more frequently – thermography has a particularly clear ROI here.

Sachsen, Thüringen, Brandenburg: Eastern Germany has a high proportion of older PV systems from the era of high feed-in tariffs (2008–2012). Many of these systems are approaching the end of their manufacturer warranties – an optimal time for a final inspection. Ground-mounted systems dominate the landscape.

Hessen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland: Solid market penetration with a mix of commercial and industrial systems. Wine-growing regions are increasingly adopting agri-PV. Rhineland-Palatinate has some of Germany's oldest solar parks.

Warum ein überregionaler Spezialist?

Many PV operators work with local tradespeople or regional drone service providers – and find that the result does not meet the standards that insurers and courts require. An IEC-compliant thermography report to IEC TS 62446-3 and VdS 2858 is not a standard every drone pilot meets.

As a specialised thermography service provider we bring the necessary equipment (professional IR cameras with at least 640×512 pixels), the standards-compliant analysis methodology and experience from hundreds of inspections – regardless of which region the system is in. The report has the same quality and usability nationwide.

For operators with systems in multiple federal states a single specialist provider is also more economical than different regional providers: standardised report formats, consistent classification and one contact for all locations.

Large systems and solar farms nationwide

Ground-mounted systems and solar farms from 750 kWp are a nationwide focus of our work. For this system class we offer a no-obligation enquiry. The complete drone thermography covers every single one of the thousands of modules, geo-referenced and standards-compliant to IEC TS 62446-3.

For solar farms from 5 MWp we prepare individual quotes with multiple survey days and an adapted reporting format. Institutional investors and asset managers receive reports in standardised formats for their portfolio management on request.

Technical Due Diligence: Einsätze überall in Deutschland

When buying or selling a solar farm or commercial system the location is irrelevant – the quality of the thermographic due diligence inspection must be equally high everywhere. We carry out TDD deployments nationwide, often at short notice when transaction processes require it.

The IEC-compliant report with expert opinion is recognised nationwide as a basis for negotiation and a legal evidence document. Lawyers, notaries and M&A advisors from across Germany commission us for the technical component of their transaction due diligence.

Insurance expert reports after damage events

After hail, storm or lightning speed is decisive. We schedule damage inspections nationwide on a priority basis – the longer a damaged system runs the more difficult the causality assignment becomes for the insurer. Our standards-compliant report to VdS 2858 is the basis for a successful claims settlement, regardless of which federal state the system is in.

Ablauf bundesweiter Einsätze

The process differs from local deployments only in the scheduling. After your enquiry we check system data, weather windows and any permit requirements for the drone survey in the respective airspace. For systems in control zones or security areas we apply for the necessary flight permits – a service that is surprisingly time-consuming for many operators and which we handle completely.

For systems from 250 kWp we combine multiple inspection days where necessary – drone survey and hand thermography can be split over two days when the system size requires it. For more distant locations travel typically takes place on the evening before the deployment day.

Frequently asked questions