Today’s most technologically advanced method of inspecting solar assets is with a drone. There is a vast selection of drone technology to choose from, including options that are tailor-made for solar inspections. The current market offers drones and drone software specifically designed to capture professional-grade thermal data and aerial images of solar assets.
So what drone should you buy for solar inspections? Or, how do you know if the drone professional you hired is using a high-quality drone? There are over 400 drone manufacturers competing for business out there. This guide to the best drones for solar inspections in 2021 can help you narrow your choices and gain a better understanding of what makes a drone well-suited to solar inspections. We’ve used our niche expertise as a drone service provider in the solar energy field to come up with a list of high-quality solar drone solutions to consider.
Table of Contents
Our recommendations include the physical drone aircraft and camera attachments when needed. These drones and camera attachments are ideally suited for capturing professional-grade aerial images of PV systems and other solar assets.
Best Overall Solar Inspection Drones
We’ve ranked these drones best overall for solar inspections. Further into our list, we’ll also share drones ranked mid-tier and budget friendly.
DJI Matrice 210 V2, paired with XT2 30Hz Thermal Camera
- Pros: Ability to attach multiple payloads at once for simultaneous collection of high resolution visual and thermal data
- Cons: Discontinued models typically must be purchased used or refurbished.
- Estimated Cost: $17,500 USD
The DJI Matrice 210 V2 is an excellent drone for solar inspections. When flown, it can increase efficiency and accuracy while lowering costs and keeping personnel safe. The drone pilot can count on reliable and stable flight thanks to the drone’s OcuSync 2.0 system, which supports automatic dual frequency band switching and extends flight range to up to 8km. It’s important to note however, current aviation laws prohibit drone flights beyond visual line of sight.
Additionally, the dual battery system enables flight time up to 38 minutes. This means that the job can be completed faster with fewer stops to recharge your drone batteries.
The drone has three gimbals for multiple payload capabilities: a dual downward gimbal option as well as an upward-facing gimbal mount. We recommend pairing the Matrice 210 V2 with the Zenmuse XT2 thermal camera for solar inspections. This thermal sensor is very popular and well acclaimed by users and it can pinpoint temperature abnormalities, including asset defects quickly from the air.
When capturing thermal data with the XT2, a 13 mm or 19mm lens is recommended. This will enable the drone pilot to fly at a suitable altitude that is close enough to collect detailed imagery and also far enough to clear obstacles such as trees during the inspection.
The Matrice 210 V2 and the Zenmuse XT2 are no longer in production by DJI, but they can be purchased used/refurbished from an official DJI dealer or third-party drone retailer, such as Aerial Influence
DJI Matrice 300 RTK, paired with H20T Thermal Camera
- Pros: Extended battery life (up to 55 minutes) can cover large solar sites with fewer or zero battery swaps for faster inspections
- Cons: Included smart controller is limited in its functionality and compatibility with other apps.
- Estimated Cost: $24,500 USD
The Matrice 300 RTK paired with the Zenmuse H20T thermal camera is a powerful drone solution for solar inspections. With this drone setup, you can access real-time temperature readings of solar panels using visual and radiometric thermal sensors to immediately identify abnormalities.
This is DJI’s newest commercial drone platform with advanced AI capabilities, obstacle avoidance, and positioning capabilities that make it easier to fly in challenging environments. The Zenmuse H20T is an ideal payload for solar inspections, integrating a zoom camera, wide camera, a laser rangefinder, and a 13.5mm radiometric thermal camera. Complete your flight faster with fewer battery swaps, thanks to the extended battery life of this drone, up to 55 minutes.
One of the benefits of flying a drone for solar inspections is the ability to automate your flight. Once you input the drone settings and flight path, many drones can essentially fly by themselves.
Video Source: DJI Enterprise
The Matrice 300 RTK does offer flight automation; however, when put to use in the field this feature has shown to be less than perfect. The pilot must actively input new information throughout the inspection when using the smart controller to fly this drone in DJI Pilot. Gimbal yaw must be adjusted each time the drone finishes a pass of a PV row.
The smart controller’s small screen and inability to run multiple apps has also caused some frustrations for pilots. To use the preferred program for solar inspections, GS Pro, the drone pilot needs to connect a tablet to run additional apps/software. A tablet can be connected to the drone with a mount purchased separately.
Despite these few cons of the Matrice 300 RTK, it is still a top choice for solar inspections. Its live mission recording feature makes it easier to automate flights for subsequent inspections and to collect historical data as a solar site is inspected over time.
Additionally, this drone is one of the most reliable for inspecting large sights thanks to its long battery life, 15km transmission range, and real-time auto-switching between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz4 for reliable flight near high-interference environments.
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DJI Matrice 30T
- Pros: Withstands -20° C to 50° C temperatures, built-in new software DJI Pilot 2, lightweight and portable, IP54 Protection (water and dustproof)
- Cons: Included smart controller is limited in its functionality and compatibility with other apps, not yet compatible with many post-processing software applications, low ground clearance and lack of proper landing gear increase the probability of propeller damage during takeoff and landing
- Estimated Cost: $13,999 USD
The DJI M30T is the hottest new solar drone to enter the market. It was released in early 2022 as part of the DJI M30 series. While the DJI M30 model doesn’t have thermal capabilities, the DJI M30T comes equipped with a 640 x 512 px Resolution thermal camera with a 9.1 mm lens. It also has a 30 fps frame rate and an equivalent focal length of 40 mm. According to Raptor Maps, the DJI M30T can collect 70% front lap and 20% side lap during thermal inspections, making detecting anomalies easy. But that’s not all.
The DJI M30T drone itself has some impressive specs. With a max flight speed of 23 m/s, a 41-minute max flight time, and an operating radius of 7 km, you can cover large PV systems in record time. And if you do run out of battery power, the DJI M30T comes with hot-swappable batteries and can fast charge in just 25 minutes.
Need to fly the drone in extreme weather conditions? The DJI M30T has you covered. Its robust design can handle temperatures from -20° C to 50° C and is extremely weather resistant. For example, it can handle winds of 15 m/s with no problem. It’s also highly portable with its compact, foldable design and you can set up and configure the drone in just 30 minutes!
The DJI M30T also makes it easy to view live thermal footage with its triple-channel 1080p video transmission and 7-inch widescreen DJI RC Plus controller. Keep in mind, however, that since this is a new aircraft, many popular software applications may not be compatible for an extended period of time until the proper tests and supporting documentation are conducted and completed. For now, you must use the built-in new software DJI Pilot 2 to plan flights and operate the drone.
For $13,999, you can buy the DJI M30T basic combo, which comes with the DJI RC Plus controller, two TB30 Intelligent Flight Batteries, one BS30 Intelligent Battery Station, and an aircraft storage case. When you consider the combined value of this cutting-edge solar drone technology, it’s a killer deal!
Mid Tier Solar Inspection Drones
If you’re looking for a high performing drone that won’t exceed your budget, try out these mid-tier solar inspection drones. Also keep in mind that the cost-saving benefits of using a drone for solar inspections will help you recoup the initial funds invested in a drone.
SenseFly eBee X with senseFly Duet T Camera
- Pros: Rugged and durable fixed wing drone for overview inspections
- Cons: Not recommended for comprehensive solar inspections where a high level of detail is necessary
- Estimated Cost: $23,000 USD
The SenseFly eBee X is a fixed wing drone widely used for solar; however, quadcopters are typically better as fixed wing drones offer less control over the flight and collected images. The payoff of using a fixed wing drone is the ability to fly further distances and to stay airborne for longer periods of time than with a quadcopter. However, the trade-in is that fixed wing drones tend to fly too fast, resulting in blurred images.
The SenseFly eBee X is best suited for “overview inspections”—the fastest performed and lowest detail level of inspection, that can only detect a small range of issues. With the Duet T thermal mapping camera, the eBee X can create dual RGB/thermal maps and expose PV system anomalies such as offline inverters, offline combiners, offline modules, string outages, and tracker faults. This drone will excel at creating accurate maps of solar farms, but its ability to detect internal issues within PV systems is limited.
Video Source: SenseFly
Autel EVO II Dual
- Pros: Affordably priced quadcopter made in the USA with high-quality thermal camera comparable to more expensive drone models.
- Cons: Limited transmission range and third-party flight software may impact data reliability if flying a large area.
- Cost: $7,000 USD
The Autel Evo II Dual is a compact drone solution made in the USA with foreign and domestic components. The integrated dual sensor camera captures visual and thermal data at the same time. This drone is recommended for automating solar farm inspections and reducing field time. As with all the drone models we’ve shared thus far, the EVO II Dual reduces the amount of time it takes to complete a solar inspection when compared to using traditional methods such as IV curve tracing.
The transmission range (approx. 5.5 miles) on this drone is slightly less than that on models we’ve mentioned above. However, the EVO II Dual offers plenty of transmission range for smaller solar farms or small groupings of PV systems. According to Autel, this drone can inspect approximately 4000 PV panels per hour.
The thermal sensor is comparable with those on higher end drones, with 640 x 512 still and video resolution and a 30Hz refresh rate. The 38 minute flight time stacks up similarly with many of the drone models from Autel’s primary competitor, DJI. But, if GS Pro is your flight operations software of choice, then you’ll have to stick with a DJI drone since GS Pro only works with DJI.
The Autel EVO II Dual is much less expensive and is compatible with many other third-party flight planning and processing software solutions.
What's included in YOUR GUIDE...
Techniques for Exposing Warrantiable Items on Your PV Sites.
A Proven Roadmap for Successfully Implementing Drones in Solar.
Strategies for Identifying DC Losses and Avoiding Downtime.
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced
- Pros: Affordably priced quadcopter with a good quality thermal camera and impressive zooming capabilities that make solar inspections easier.
- Cons: Included smart controller is limited in its functionality and compatibility with other apps.
- Estimated Cost: $6,500 USD
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced is an ideal choice for early adopters of drone technology. This compact drone is easy to fly and houses powerful dual sensors, including an HD 640 × 512 px thermal resolution camera and a 48MP visual camera. Pilots can switch between visual, thermal, or split-view feeds for different project needs.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced can capture HD images and 4K videos from a safe distance. A trademark feature of DJI’s Mavic series is the unmatched 32x digital zoom and a 16x thermal zoom, not found in any other drone at this price point. The zooming capabilities allow operators to hone in on the details without flying too close to expensive solar equipment.
Video Source: Droner Dan
A drawback to the Mavic 2 Enterprise is the manual input needed to ensure solar inspections are flown correctly. Although this drone has automated, intelligent flight options, the drone’s orientation will need to be adjusted throughout the flight at the end of each row of panels.
The included smart controller can only run the DJI Pilot app and not the preferred solar inspection software of GS Pro (or any other app/software). To use other apps/software, drone pilots will need to downgrade from the smart controller and buy the Mavic 2 Pro remote controller instead.
Parrot Anafi USA
- Pros: Reliable U.S. manufactured drone with solar inspection capabilities
- Cons: Low resolution thermal camera
- Estimated Cost: $7,000 USD
The Parrot Anafi USA is another mid tier drone for solar inspections, ideally suited for pilots-in-training or small in-house drone operations. Parrot’s ANAFI USA drone uses an integrated FLIR Boson Thermal sensor and offers 32x zoom. Like the other drones mentioned previously, the Parrot Anafi USA drone can be used to make solar inspections faster and more cost-effective.
The Anafi USA can inspect five solar panel rows at a time without shutting down the photovoltaic plant. The Flight Plan feature also enables some level of flight automation.
The thermal sensor offers 320 x 256 resolution, which is below the industry standard minimum requirement of 640 x 512 px. However, there are still some benefits to flying the Parrot Anafi USA over other drone options. For U.S. drone pilots flying with data security concerns, this U.S. manufactured drone offers data encryption and privacy features that are compliant with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), delivering military-approved privacy and security for sensitive missions.
Budget Friendly Solar Inspection Drones
These next drones offer solar solutions on a tight budget. The image and data quality produced by the drones won’t meet the data requirements for professional solar inspections, but are suitable for collecting solar data to be used in-house, for personal use, or for training purposes. The reduced visual and thermal image quality of these drones may not be supported by certain drone software used for processing and analyzing thermal data.
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual
- Pros: Inexpensive drone with solar capabilities
- Cons: Low resolution thermal sensor
- Estimated Cost: $3,350 USD
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual has the capability to capture both visible & thermal imagery. It comes with a FLIR thermal sensor with adjustable parameters for emissivity and reflective surfaces. These features are great to have when inspecting solar PV systems; however, the thermal camera resolution on this drone model is below the industry standard minimum requirement of 640 x 512 px.
At just 160 x 120 px, the low quality infrared images from this camera make it very difficult to locate and diagnose solar panel faults. Not to mention the photo format of RJPEG is not supported, meaning temperature readings are not stored in picture metadata making it impossible to determine absolute temperature measurements in post processing softwares.
Video Source: Manolis Mandalakis
This drone provides many of the perks that DJI is known for, including reliable obstacle avoidance and positioning data. The drones in the Mavic series are also preferred by some drone pilots because of their compact and foldable design. The small drone can fit inside a backpack and is easy to transport across the work site.
The Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual may be a good option for someone just starting out in solar looking to get hands-on training experience with an inexpensive drone. For more advanced solar work, it is better to upgrade to a drone system with higher performance and higher-quality output.
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DJI Inspire 1, paired with Zenmuse XT Camera
- Pros: Meets industry thermal imaging resolution standards while remaining inexpensive
- Cons: Accessories and batteries can be difficult to find for these discontinued models
- Estimated Cost: $5,200 USD
The DJI Inspire 1 was first released in 2014 and is still a popular drone for professionals. Earlier in this list of drones for solar inspections, we recommended the DJI Matrice 300 RTK, which is DJI’s newest solution for inspection work. But, if the Matrice is too expensive for your budget, the Inspire 1 provides a more affordable option.
The Inspire 1 can get the job done nearly as well as the Matrice 300 RTK, but it requires some additional flights. Solar inspections are best performed with both a thermal camera and visual RGB camera. This way, the heat anomalies can be referenced with the RGB photos making sure reported issues were not false positives (this can happen with bird droppings or debris on the panel).
Newer drones like the Matrice come with multiple payloads or dual-sensor cameras. The Inspire 1 on the other hand carries a single payload with no dual-sensor options available. It would need to fly the site twice to capture the thermal and visual data separately. We recommend pairing the Inspire 1 with the Zenmuse XT camera, which offers 640 × 512 thermal resolution to meet professional standards.
The Inspire 1 and XT have been discontinued and are no longer in production. There are many opportunities to purchase the drone and camera online in used or refurbished conditions at significantly reduced prices. However, accessories and batteries are difficult to find.
Choosing the Right Drone for Solar Inspections
When searching for the best drone to use for solar inspections, there are a few key features you want to keep in mind. Drones for PV inspections will ideally have:
- A thermal camera with 640 × 512 resolution or better
- A sensor focal length between 13mm – 19mm
- Thermal and RGB (visual) image collection capabilities
- Built-in flight planning and flight automation features
- Compatibility with your preferred processing software
- Accurate GPS positioning and GPS data collection
- Long transmission range and battery life
Next Steps: Getting Started with Aerial Solar Inspections
Whether you want to purchase a drone yourself or start working with a professional drone pilot, The Drone Life has multiple resources to help you move forward. Our trained drone thermographers have extensive knowledge of infrared science, cameras, and post processing software for solar drone inspections.
Our team can help you integrate drone technology into your solar PV system maintenance, significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of the inspection process. Get in touch with a drone expert or learn more about our infrared drone solar inspection services.
What's included in YOUR GUIDE...
Techniques for Exposing Warrantiable Items on Your PV Sites.
A Proven Roadmap for Successfully Implementing Drones in Solar.
Strategies for Identifying DC Losses and Avoiding Downtime.
