PROXYThermal Inspection of Solar Panels by Drone
A 1 MW solar park has over 3,000 panels. Manual verification of each takes days. A drone with thermal camera scans the entire park in a few hours, instantly identifying defective cells, hotspots, and disconnected strings — issues that reduce production by 3-5% without the park operator knowing. Cost: just 800 RON per MW.
How it works
The drone flies on parallel paths above panel rows at 15-20 m altitude. The thermal camera (640×512 px resolution, 0.05°C sensitivity) detects temperature differences between healthy and defective cells. Images are automatically processed to generate a report with the exact location of each anomaly.
Comparison
| Criteria | Thermal drone | Manual IR camera | No inspection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost (1 MW park) | 800 RON | 2,000-3,000 RON | 0 RON |
| Time | 2-4 hours | 2-3 days | — |
| Coverage | 100% of panels | 20-30% sampling | 0% |
| Production recovered | 3-5% | 1-2% | 0% |
Economic analysis
Thermal inspection ROI (1 MW park):
At an average price of 0.45 RON/kWh and production of 1,200 MWh/year, a 3% loss means 36 MWh lost = 16,200 RON/year. The 800 RON inspection pays for itself 20 times over.
When you need this
Thermal drone inspection is recommended in the following situations:
- Annual planned inspection — preferably in summer at maximum irradiance
- Production below expectations — identifying the cause of decline
- After hail or storm — physical + electrical damage assessment
Why ProxyDrone
Operators experienced in photovoltaic thermography, IEC 62446 standardized report, delivery within 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does thermal inspection of a solar park cost?
The standard rate is 800 RON for a 1 MW park. For larger parks, the cost per MW decreases progressively.
When is the best time for thermal inspection?
Summer, at maximum solar irradiance (between 10:00 and 14:00), when thermal differences between healthy and defective cells are most visible.
What types of defects can the thermal camera detect?
Defective cells (hotspots), activated bypass diodes, disconnected strings, degraded connections, and micro-cracks generating local overheating.
Do I receive a standardized report after inspection?
Yes. The report follows the IEC 62446 standard and includes exact location of each anomaly, severity classification, and intervention recommendations.