Drone inspection defective solar panel

Rapid Fault Detection in PV Systems: Preventing Yield Loss in Le Roeulx

During the final commissioning of a brand-new installation in Le Roeulx, an error message was detected on the inverter. Instead of the installer having to manually measure each of the 54 panels on the roof, Droneview.be completed the job from the air in just a few minutes.

This is a brilliant example of the direct return-on-investment (ROI) that a drone inspection provides.

The Challenge: A Needle in a Haystack

When a new solar panel installation shows a defect, the installer faces a time-consuming task. To find the faulty panel, all panels often have to be disconnected and measured one by one. This means:

  • Hours of work on a pitched roof.
  • High labor costs and safety risks.
  • Prolonged yield loss for the end customer.

Our Solution: Real-Time Thermal Detection

Using the DJI M210 and the radiometric Zenmuse XT2 camera, we flew over the installation under optimal sun conditions.

  • Speed: The entire field was scanned within a single flight of a few minutes.
  • Result: One specific panel (3rd from the right on the top row) showed an anomalous thermal pattern, indicating a full short circuit or a faulty bypass diode.
  • Visual Verification: Thanks to simultaneous RGB recording, we could confirm there was no visible damage (such as glass breakage), pointing to an internal technical defect.

Major Savings for the Contractor

Thanks to the exact localization, the technician from Ecochauffage could head straight to the correct panel. What could have normally been a day’s work was reduced to a quick 30-minute intervention.

Thermal anomaly solar panel

Visual check solar panel

Project Details (Quick Scan)

Feature Description
Location Le Roeulx
Client Ecochauffage SRL
Installation 54 panels (Residential/SME)
Findings 1 fully defective panel localized