The solar industry is quickly adopting drone use as its new preferred method for inspections. The reason drones are catching on? Because solar site managers are reporting an average of $1,254/MW cost savings and 98% increase efficiency when they use drones to complete solar inspections in place of manual methods.
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Drone vs Manual Inspections
We compiled an in-depth comparison between drone and manual solar inspections in a previous article: The Ultimate ROI Guide For Infrared Drone Solar Inspections. Here’s a quick recap:
- On average, drones are able to collect data 70% faster than manual methods, whether it be handheld thermography, electrical, or I-V curve tracing.
- This increased speed allows for the total inspection of a site rather than only sampling a site—an industry practice where only 10-25% of the site is inspected, previously used to cut down on the time and cost of manual inspections.
- Reports utilize the aerial data to quickly identify malfunctioning modules, strings, combiners, or inverters that may not have been detected in an on-foot inspection.
- Drones provide more detailed and more accurate reports with actionable items, resulting in increased yield and thousands of dollars in annual savings.
Today, most solar companies are already convinced that drones would be a valuable asset to their operations. The next question they face is whether to contract a professional drone company or develop an in-house drone program by training their own pilots and purchasing their own drone equipment.
For most solar companies, in-house drone solar inspections are a terrible idea. We’ll explain why they’re a bad idea and also outline the occasional scenarios in which they could be beneficial.
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In-House vs Outsourced Drone Solar Inspections
Most solar companies would be mistaken to conduct their drone solar inspections in-house. The initial time and expense are enough to turn most companies away from building their own in-house drone team to conduct solar inspections.
We’ve put together all the information here on what it takes to build an in-house drone team for solar inspections. Companies can use this information to decide for themselves which direction to go.
You Need a Federally Issued Drone License
Drone solar inspections should only be conducted by trained and certified drone pilots. In fact, it’s illegal in the U.S. (and in most countries) to operate a drone for commercial purposes without a federally issued drone license.
You can choose to send your team members through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107 drone license testing and certification process. Many wannabe drone pilots spend months studying and preparing to take the test. The testing fee is $173. Once you’ve passed your test you can legally fly for work. The knowledge requirements don’t stop there though.
To master aerial drone thermography concepts, drone pilots will need to pursue additional certifications. An sUAS Level I Thermography Certification course costs about $2,000 USD.
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.
Drone Laws Change Frequently and Differ by State
Airspace regulations, registration requirements, and waiver applications are all regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. It’s not uncommon for these laws to impose extra stipulations on drone solar inspections. For example, inspecting a large solar farm may require the drone pilot to fly beyond his line of sight. This requires a special waiver from the FAA, which can take up to 90 days to obtain.
On top of the FAA’s nationwide laws, some states also implement their own drone laws. There may even be town- and city-specific drone ordinances in place. Drone pilots must take it upon themselves to stay informed of the laws in their local area as well as stay up-to-date on any federal law changes.
There’s A Lot of Expensive Equipment (You Need More than Just a Drone)
There are multiple pieces of specialized equipment needed for solar drone inspections. Your drone will need a visual camera and a thermal camera. Sometimes these come built into the drone, but other times they need to be purchased separately and then mounted to the drone.
Most commonly used is the DJI Matrice 300 drone with the Zenmuse H20T thermal sensor. Together, these retail for about $24,500. Less expensive solutions exist such as the DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual with a built-in thermal sensor. However, the tradeoff for the lower price is a less detailed, lower resolution thermal image.
DJI Matrice 300 RTK
DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual
If you choose to go the route of investing in your own drone equipment and software, you should also consider the shelf-life of these products. Drone technology evolves rapidly, with new drone and camera models being released about every two years. You may not be able to recoup a positive ROI on your equipment before newer, better equipment becomes available.
Negative ROI on In-House Drone Solar Inspections
As you can see, training your own in-house drone pilots will require a significant investment of time and capital. Not only will they need multiple certifications, but they’ll also have to take on the full-time responsibility of staying abreast of changing laws and industry standards.
The cost of drone equipment is steep too. Altogether, the initial equipment, training, and software investment will exceed $30,000.
With this in mind, it’s most likely that conducting in-house drone solar inspections will result in a negative ROI. Take into consideration the number of PV systems you operate along with the fact they usually only need to be inspected once a year. You’re better off seeking out a drone services company to whom you can contract out the annual inspection.
When are In-House Drone Solar Inspections a Good Idea?
Large national solar and O&M companies can benefit from in-house drone solar inspections if the investment in drone training and equipment provides a positive return. Big energy companies like SOLV and Enel have dedicated teams to perform aerial drone inspections around the country. With hundreds or even thousands of sites to maintain, these larger companies will put their drone teams and equipment to use more frequently—earning back their initial investment faster.
But for the smaller businesses, it takes years to recoup that investment. Most solar companies don’t have hundreds of solar farm assets. When inspecting only a few solar assets a year, the 30k price tag of drone equipment will amount to more than they would have paid to outsource the inspections to a drone company like The Drone Life.
Making the Decision Between In-House and Outsourced Drone Solar Inspections
Having an understanding of your needs and resources is crucial when making a decision between in-house and outsourced drone solar inspections.
Most solar companies and O&M teams prefer to hire true drone professionals who have the education, tools, and experience needed for solar inspections.
When you outsource your inspections, you can spend less time thinking about costs and more time counting your savings. Our client case study shows how a 97 MW Site avoided $184,731 in financial losses when they outsourced their solar drone inspections to a professional drone company. Take the next steps to outsource your inspections by learning more about infrared drone solar inspections provided by The Drone Life.
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.
