Today’s solar installers are taking advantage of drones for inspections and other activities. However, recent changes may limit how drones are used for solar inspections, photography, and other activities.
With photovoltaics estimated to account for Australia’s total power capacity at over 46 per cent by 2030, PV capacity continues to grow. In fact, it is estimated to reach 80.22GW by 2030.
This is fueled by federal initiatives across states and territories that offer households and businesses solar systems with schemes. As solar adoption continues to grow at a supercharged pace, drones are becoming a common tool to support performance inspections.
However, the General Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has made several changes to drone usage for business purposes.
Drones must be registered, regardless of size, and must have a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) operator accreditation.
How to register and get accredited
Accreditation is free and can be done online—solar installers only need to watch a video, answer a quiz, and get a score of at least 85 per cent or higher to move on to the registration process.
The registration process is straightforward and free for drones weighing 500g or less. Drones more than 500 g will have a registration levy of $40 per drone applied, with each registration valid for 12 months.
What happens when you don’t comply?
While registration and accreditation is quick and easy to attain, it is something easily overlooked or put off for ‘another day’. However, failure to comply with CASA’s rules may lead to a hefty fine and the possibility of going to court.
Drones for solar
One of the things that make drones a valuable tool in today’s solar industry is that it cuts down inspection time significantly. Thus, this enables operators to prioritise time on high-skilled tasks.
Another benefit is that drones help reduce the costs of maintenance for large-scale solar. Solar technicians no longer have to weed through rows of solar farms whilst carrying thermal cameras to gather data manually.
Drones can be equipped with thermal or visual cameras to acquire data, reducing the time it takes to perform these important tasks.
The data gathered from solar systems by drones can help optimise performance and identify issues and predictive maintenance. This makes solar management a lot easier and more productive.
In 2021, SA Water deployed several drones that were tasked to inspect their solar arrays across 33 locations. The state government-owned water utility teamed up with Above, a UK-based solar inspection specialist that utilises thermographic drone inspections to detect problems with the module.
“The software platform enables maintenance teams to locate modules, investigate issues and carry out repairs,” said Above.
Energy Matters has over 17 years of experience in the solar industry and has helped over 40,000 Australian households in their journey to energy independence.
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