Discover why electrical equipment must be under load for effective thermography inspections. Learn how load impacts Delta T and why standards like NFPA 70B and ANSI/NETA require it to detect faults like loose connections.
Prepare yourself as we take flight and uncover how much money infrared drone solar inspections cost and expected ROI for PV owners, solar companies, and O&M teams from implementing drone technology.
New Jersey’s Community Solar Program has entered its third phase, unlocking 250 MW of new capacity and creating fresh opportunities for warehouse owners, developers, and residents. Learn how this expansion benefits commercial rooftops, low-income households, and how drone inspections support efficient solar deployment.
Half-cut solar cells offer efficiency benefits, but emerging reports reveal unexpected hot spot issues across many installations. The causes remain unclear, with factors like micro-cracks, electrical imbalances, and bifacial designs under scrutiny. This article explores the industry’s challenges in diagnosing these anomalies and the role of drone thermography in detecting them.
Delta T (ΔT) in thermography measures the temperature difference between normal and anomalous components, helping to detect potential issues like hotspots, cracks, and faulty connections. This critical metric enables precise diagnostics, supports proactive maintenance strategies, and ensures the efficient operation and longevity of various systems and equipment.
IEC 62446-3:2017 sets the standard for drone solar inspections, improving fault detection, warranty support, and long-term PV system performance.
Discover how drones can simplify compliance with NFPA 70B, the new enforceable standard for electrical maintenance. Learn how drone technology enhances safety, reduces costs, and boosts efficiency in solar operations, helping asset owners maintain long-term profitability while ensuring their systems are operating safely and effectively.
New Jersey is transforming over 800 abandoned landfills into solar farms, addressing environmental hazards and advancing renewable energy goals. Highlighting significant projects and state policies, this initiative revitalizes underutilized land, promotes sustainable development, and positions New Jersey as a leader in landfill solar redevelopment.
Rapid Shutdown Devices (RSDs) are an important safety feature during rooftop fires with PV arrays, and were mandated by the NEC. Commonly used Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE) simplify the installation but increase failure risks. In this article, we explain how regular inspections, especially using drone thermography, are crucial to detect overheating and prevent rooftop fires.
Learn how drone thermography improves solar module warranty claims by verifying defects, streamlining documentation, and increasing claim success for PV system owners and asset managers.
The commissioning process represents a pivotal stage in renewable energy to ensure a solar project is not only operational but also performing at its peak efficiency. In this case study we will examine the development of a 10 megawatt (MW) solar project, how drone thermography inspections were utilized during the commissioning process.
Potential induced degradation (PID) is an issue that all solar stakeholders, especially owners and O&Ms should be taking seriously even if it only affects a small minority of modules.Given the substantial time and expense associated with testing individual modules or strings using IV-curve tracing or electroluminescence testing, operators can use drone thermography to identify modules potentially affected by PID in a timely and cost-effective manner. In this article we will explain why it is important to identify PID in solar modules.
