Solarpark-Inspektion per Drohne
Autonomous drone thermography for ground-mounted systems and solar farms of all sizes. Complete module coverage, geo-referenced, standards-compliant to IEC TS 62446-3 – for O&M, technical due diligence and insurance settlements.
Warum Solarparks regelmäßige Thermografie brauchen
A solar farm with several MWp comprises thousands of modules. Visual inspections are barely economical at this scale – and even when they are, they fail to detect the most common defects. Hotspots from cell degradation, PID-Befallsmuster that spread across entire string arrays, and connectors with increased contact resistance are invisible to the naked eye. They cause continuous yield losses, however, and – in the case of overheated connections – fire risks.
Drone thermography to IEC TS 62446-3 solves this problem: it captures every one of the thousands of modules with calibrated infrared cameras, processes the images into a geo-referenced thermogram of the entire site and classifies all anomalies by temperature difference and action priority. The result is a complete technical condition picture – the basis for efficient O&M planning, insurance settlements and investment decisions.
Use cases for solar farm inspection
Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
For operators the regelmäßige thermografische Inspektion im Zweijahresrhythmus per VdS recommendation is the most efficient tool for securing yield. Comparison with the previous report shows which defects have newly occurred, which have worsened and which have been resolved. This enables data-driven maintenance planning instead of reactive troubleshooting after monitoring alerts.
Technical Due Diligence (TDD)
When buying or selling a solar farm the thermographic inspection is part of every serious technical due diligence. It provides the actual technical condition of the system – independent of the seller's yield projections and maintenance records. Identified defects and their quantified yield loss are direct arguments for negotiating the purchase price. Our IEC report can be used as a legally sound TDD document.
Insurance settlement after a damage event
After hail, storm or surge events thermography is the only method to prove microcracks and cell damage across the entire site. Without a standards-compliant report, insurers can reduce payouts because the damage is not evidenced. Our reports to IEC TS 62446-3 are accepted by German PV insurers.
Ablauf einer Solarpark-Inspektion
Inquiry and proposal
You provide the site location, installed capacity and system type. We prepare an individual quote with scheduling proposals and – where relevant – a flight concept.
Flight planning and permits
For drone flights in controlled airspace we obtain all required permits under the EU Drone Regulation. Large-scale sites are divided into optimised flight segments.
Inspektion unter Normbedingungen
Drone survey with simultaneous IR and RGB capture. Optional additional hand thermography of inverters, string boxes and junction boxes. The system keeps running undisturbed.
Report and follow-up
IEC-compliant report within 5–7 working days. Presentation of findings and derivation of a prioritised maintenance plan on request.
For solar farms from 750 kWp we provide you with a transparent quote by system size and location – use our price calculator for an initial estimate.
Inspektion anfragen →Häufige Fragen
From what size is drone thermography suitable?
Economically worthwhile from approx. 50 kWp. We inspect systems of all sizes – from smaller commercial systems to solar farms of several MWp. We prepare an individual quote for every system size.
What measurement conditions are required?
IEC TS 62446-3: at least 600 W/m² irradiance, wind below 4 m/s, system in normal operation. We coordinate the optimal measurement window based on weather forecasts.
Do you inspect nationwide?
Yes. The core area is northern Germany, but nationwide inspections are possible. Travel costs are calculated individually.
What does the report contain?
Geo-referenced thermograms of all modules, classification by ΔT and priority, site plan, yield-loss calculation and measurement-conditions log.
Weiterführend: Drone thermography for solar farms – technology and process · TDD for solar farms · PV-Ertragsverlust: Ursachen finden