PV thermal imaging · B2B and partners
Drone thermal imaging of photovoltaics: we show differences, the diagnosis belongs to the service company.
A drop in output with no clear cause, the handover of a new installation, a warranty coming to an end - these are the moments when it is worth seeing the temperature distribution across the whole installation from the air. This page explains the method and its conditions; the scope we agree with companies, O&M services and partners.
The problem and the audience
The right moment, the right audience.
Companies with a PV installation
A warehouse roof or ground-mounted: output lower than the simulation, the handover of a new installation, a warranty coming to an end, damage after hail or a windstorm. A survey like this puts in order where to start the conversation with the service company - instead of guessing.
O&M and service teams
Instead of walking module by module: an index of observations with location and priority, so the crew goes to specific rows rather than "to the whole thing". Interpretation and repair remain with the service company.
Installers and roofers
Installers and service companies add aerial material to their own inspection. The client and the interpretation stay with the partner, we are responsible for the flights and the quality control of the data. The rules of the channel: Partner Program.
Installations on detached houses we serve only as a paid route pilot on scheduled routes, with no public price - the starting point is a roof inspection.
What IR can point out
Thermal observations, not verdicts.
A thermal camera records the apparent temperature of the module surface. Against the uniform background of a healthy installation, patterns stand out that are worth checking - each of them is an observation for verification, not a diagnosed fault.
Point patterns
Single cells clearly warmer than their surroundings - an image typical of, among other things, local overheating of a cell. What it means in this particular installation is settled by the service company on site.
Module and string patterns
A whole module or a string of modules whose temperature differs from the neighbouring ones - an image that is sometimes linked to the operation of a string or of the connections. The cause is decided by an electrical measurement, not by a photograph.
Surface patterns
Areas with an image typical of shading, soiling or accumulated debris. Some disappear after cleaning, some need an on-site look - which is why we pair every entry with an RGB frame.
The same thermal image can have several different causes. That is why every entry in the report has the status of an observation with a location and a level of confidence - and the recommended next step points to the appropriate expert, it does not replace them.
Conditions of the method
Quality gates, not a guarantee of the result.
PV thermography only makes sense in defined conditions. We take the thresholds from the IEA PVPS methodology for PV thermographic inspections and treat them as gates: thresholds that are not met stop the flight rather than lower the quality of the data.
Sunlight
Minimum 600 W/m2 in the plane of the modules (POA), a stable sky, no precipitation. Too little light means too little thermal contrast - the observations stop being reliable.
Wind
Up to 4 m/s. Stronger wind cools the surface of the modules and blurs the temperature differences the method is meant to reveal. We verify the forecast with a measurement on site.
Geometry and data
Native GSD up to 3 cm/px, radiometric capture (R-JPEG) and an installation working under load. Digital zoom does not replace the right distance from the plane of the modules.
If the thresholds are not met on the day of the mission, we postpone the date or change the scope to RGB documentation. A gate that has been passed makes the observations comparable - it does not promise that every defect will be found.
The RGB/IR pair
Every thermal frame has a twin in RGB.
Some of the "anomalies" on a thermal image are the shadow of a pole, a leaf or a reflection of the sky. That is why we document every observation with a pair of frames taken from a similar angle: the service company sees straight away whether it is looking at a thermal phenomenon or at ordinary soiling.
RGB frame · context
IR frame · temperature distribution
The result of the work
An index of observations, not a folder of photographs.
What the material contains
- an index of observations with locations: section, row, module
- a pair of RGB/IR frames for every entry
- a level of confidence and a priority for verification
- a record of mission conditions: POA irradiance, wind, GSD, time of capture
- a mission log together with the rules on data access and retention
The structure of every entry
The report keeps four things apart: the observation, the context of the conditions, the limit of the method and the recommended next step with its owner. The service company gets material to work with, not an opinion it has to argue with.
See how the material is laid outLimits of the method
What this material does not settle.
We write about it openly, because material posing as an expert opinion spoils decisions. Aerfield delivers ordered data from the air - the interpretation belongs to the service company, the electrician or the surveyor, depending on the case.
A PV thermal survey
- does not rule on an electrical cause and does not replace measurements by a licensed electrician
- does not calculate energy losses - it points out areas to compare with production monitoring
- does not guarantee that every defect is captured; some faults leave no thermal signature in the given conditions
- is not an energy audit, an expert opinion or a certificate for the installation
- does not settle a warranty claim - it is input for the conversation with a service company or a guarantor
Scope and pricing
The scope is set after the brief, not from a price list.
Every installation has a different geometry, access and decision to support - which is why the quote follows the scope, with net or gross stated unambiguously in the offer.
B2B / partner brief
- location, type of installation (roof/ground) and approximate capacity
- the layout of the installation and its documentation, if available
- the decision at hand: handover, warranty, drop in output, damage
- access to the site and health and safety requirements
- the channel for the results: directly or under the partner's brand
Terms of cooperation
- price threshold: from 2,200 PLN net (working floor), quoted by scope
- a lower unit rate only on a combined route or across a series of visits
- interpretation of the observations and repairs: the appropriate service company or partner
- we open the thermal inspection once our internal method gate (G4) is passed, including a blind review with an O&M service
- channel cooperation: the rules are on the Partner Program page
method gate G4 We agree the scope and the date of the pilot now; delivery of the thermal camera survey opens once the quality gate for the method is passed. Until then every demonstration material is clearly marked as a demo.
Questions about the method
The most common doubts.
Will thermal imaging find every fault in the installation?
Why the thresholds: minimum 600 W/m2, wind up to 4 m/s, GSD up to 3 cm/px?
Will the report settle a warranty claim or calculate energy losses?
Does the installation have to be switched off during the flight?
Check Feasibility
Describe the installation - we will agree the scope.
A reply within 1 business day. Scope and price after the brief; the date of the mission is always conditional: the method gate, the airspace zone, access and the weather.