According to research Poorly maintained solar panels can lose up to 20-30% of their efficiency over time due to dirt, debris, and other contaminants blocking sunlight.
Also, studies highlight faulty components and undetected issues that can lead to increased system downtime for large-scale solar farms, this can result in an estimated loss of 1-2% of annual energy production.
That implies the role of operation and maintenance in the renewable energy sector.
Asset management is a crucial aspect of maintaining the longevity and efficiency of energy infrastructure.
It involves the systematic process of operating, maintaining, upgrading, and disposing of assets cost-effectively. Effective asset management ensures that assets are optimally utilized, risks are minimized, and costs are controlled.
Traditionally, asset management has relied on manual inspections and maintenance schedules, which can be time-consuming, costly, and sometimes hazardous for personnel. This is where drone inspections come into play as a revolutionary solution.
Hornbill SolarWise Case-Study Overview
Operating in the drone inspection domain Hornbill Drone Technology over the years has come up with advanced end-to-end inspection solutions and served multiple renowned companies operating in the energy sector.
SOrigin, a leading renewable energy company, embarked on a large-scale solar project exceeding 100MW.
To ensure the highest operational efficiency and maintain optimal performance, SOrigin partnered with Hornbill Drone Technologies to utilize SolarWise, a comprehensive solar inspection and analysis solution.
Project Workflow
1. Image Collection through Drones
To begin the project, Hornbill Drone Technologies deployed advanced drones equipped with high-resolution thermal and RGB cameras across the vast solar farm. These drones performed systematic flyovers, capturing detailed images of every solar panel. The key steps in this phase included:
• Flight Planning: Hornbill's team assisted in planning optimal flight paths to cover the entire solar farm efficiently.
• Data Collection: Drones collected thousands of images, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all panels and components.
2. Hornbill SolarWise Data Transfer
Once the image collection was completed, the data was securely transferred to the Hornbill tech team. This process involved:
•Secure Upload: Images were uploaded to Hornbill's secure cloud storage, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.
•Initial Data Verification: The tech team conducted a preliminary review to verify the completeness and quality of the collected images.
3. Analysis and Processing
Hornbill’s tech team leveraged advanced image processing algorithms and machine learning models to analyze the collected data. The analysis process included:
•Thermal Analysis: Identifying hotspots and potential issues like micro-cracks, delamination, and shading effects through thermal imaging.
•Visual Inspection: Detecting physical damages such as dirt, bird droppings, and structural issues using RGB images.
•Anomaly Detection: Machine learning models highlighted anomalies and flagged panels requiring further inspection or maintenance.
4. Results Depiction on SolarWise Portal
The analyzed data was then organized and uploaded to the SolarWise portal, providing SOrigin with a highly organized and advanced platform to visualize and manage the results. The key features of the portal included:
•Interactive Dashboard: A user-friendly interface displaying key metrics, insights, and health status of the solar panels.
•Geospatial Mapping: Visual representation of the entire solar farm with precise locations of identified issues.
•Detailed Reports: Comprehensive reports with actionable insights and recommended maintenance actions.
•Historical Data Comparison: Ability to compare current data with historical records to track performance over time.
Results and Benefits
By implementing Hornbill SolarWise, SOrigin achieved:
•Enhanced Efficiency: Automated and precise detection of issues, reducing the time and effort required for manual inspections.
•Improved Performance: Timely identification and resolution of issues, leading to improved performance and extended lifespan of the solar panels.
•Cost Savings: Reduced maintenance costs due to targeted interventions and optimized resource allocation.
The implementation of the end-to-end drone inspection by Hornbill Drone Technologies has saved the resources for SOrigin on multiple fronts. Such timely and result-driven efforts for asset maintenance are a win-win for the company and the environment as well.
According to the data collected by SolarWise, the company would be able to save $55120.06/Yr and could prevent 635.85 Ton/yr of carbon emission.
Conclusion
Hornbill SolarWise proved to be an invaluable tool for SOrigin's 100MW+ solar project, providing a seamless and efficient workflow from image collection to advanced analysis and actionable insights. The partnership exemplified how innovative drone technology and sophisticated data analytics can transform solar farm management, ensuring optimal performance and maximizing return on investment.