CE527: Thermography and Drones in PV Applications

Description

Thermal inspections of PV arrays specifically can safely provide fast and accurate information regarding system health. We will present the fundamental theories and considerations for proper thermal camera use including the various applications in solar operations and maintenance (O&M) and how to read test images. We will also review several IR cameras that are commercially available and commonly used in PV inspections.

Drones are another tool whose use in PV installation and inspection has increased in recent years. We will discuss the fundamentals of drones and discuss considerations when selecting a drone for commercial use. Drones can be used in a variety of applications: to obtain site information pre-sale; site or system mapping; during and after installation to determine progress; and finally to perform aerial thermographic inspections. Examples of the latter will be looked at and assessed in this course. We will introduce licensure requirements as well as common models of drones - and price points - that are commercially available which can be used in PV applications.