Similar to transportation, drones are providing faster, cheaper ways to inspect assets like power lines and solar panels for energy companies.
And it’s worth noting that the FAA is helping to push this progress forward by allowing energy companies to begin conducting BVLOS flights—typically prohibited by the Part 107 regulations—so that larger areas can be inspected in shorter periods of time.
In April of 2018 the FAA issued the first BVLOS waiver to an energy company, Xcel Energy, for use in inspecting power lines outside Denver, Colorado. Along with this announcement Xcel shared the news that, after completing their work in Colorado, they planned to expand BVLOS inspections to other states in the U.S.
Which is all to say that drone work in the energy sector may soon be growing quickly, as the FAA clears the way for drone pilots to do more inspections by giving more energy companies BVLOS waivers.
To do this kind of work as a drone pilot you’ll need technical knowledge of what is required in inspections for power lines, solar panels, and other energy-related infrastructure. In general, these inspections are conducted to find areas that need maintenance so that problems can be detected early and addressed—but again, as software develops this knowledge may become less and less crucial.
Knowledge of aerial thermography would be required for solar panel inspections and for certain kinds of power line inspections. It’s also important to note that power lines can emit magnetic interference, which can make flying difficult and can potentially fry your flight controller. A good rule of thumb is to stay at least 100 feet away from any power line when doing aerial inspections, and to avoid flying between power lines if at all possible.
We are insured, FAA certified remote pilots and service the Central Florida region and beyond. Our projects include residential, commercial, agricultural and government clients:
- Solar panel inspections
- Using aerial thermography to look for damages or defects in solar panels
- Wind turbines
- Using aerial data to find damage to wind turbines
- Power lines
- Using aerial data to find places where lines have been severed or otherwise damaged by weather or other objects
- Pipelines
- Using aerial data to find leaks or cracks in pipelines
- Infrastructure related to any of the above items
- Using aerial data to inspect stations, support beams, and other infrastructure related to the above items
For more information, please visit our website www.floridadronetech.com