The site, flight and reporting conditions that affect the time and cost of MW-scale solar PV drone inspections. What to consider when comparing quotes.
Installed capacity alone is not enough
Two plants with the same MW capacity may take different amounts of time to inspect. Panel layout, terrain slope, separate site sections, transport and flight conditions affect the plan. Site scope should therefore be assessed rather than providing a fixed time or price based on capacity alone.
Separate flight time from analysis time
Collecting images is only one part of the work. Data quality checks, location matching, anomaly assessment and report preparation also take time. Completing the site survey does not mean the final report is ready at the same moment. The quotation should specify the survey date, preliminary findings and report delivery date separately.
Checklist for comparable quotations
- Are the total area and site sections to be inspected clear?
- Are visible-light images assessed alongside thermal images?
- Are finding locations presented in a form the maintenance team can use?
- How is the scope determined if weather makes a repeat survey necessary?
- Are electrical verification and follow-up inspection included in the quote?
How is economic benefit measured?
The inspection's value is realised when identified issues are verified and appropriate action is taken. Exact production loss or return calculations require production records and the necessary measurements to be assessed together. A fixed savings percentage claimed to apply to every site would be misleading.
Explore the solar PV maintenance and thermal reporting process or share your location and capacity details through the quote form with us.