Inspection Flights & Data Capture Services

Raptor Maps makes adding aerial solar inspections and software analytics convenient with our inspection Data Capture Services. Our network of experienced drone pilots are licensed, trained, and insured to ensure you’re receiving high-quality deliverables. Available worldwide, with pilots who are local to your area and backed by industry-leading software to easily gain impactful insights.

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Countries with Local Operations

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Global Partners and Counting

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Standardized Practices

Every partnered pilot flies by our strict flight guidelines and data collection requirements. Meaning each inspection and deliverable is standardized and creates trackable reference points.

Actionable Reports

Deliverables are available on an individual’s Raptor Maps account and make it easy to understand the PV systems performance. Each solar anomaly is found, classified, localized, and prioritized. The reports are downloadable, shareable, and provide key insights into the PV systems performance.

Professional Pilots

Each drone pilot hired to perform the inspection is licensed, insured, and experienced. Pilots are local to the area of the PV system and aware of the flight regulations in place there.

Designated Project Managers

Deliverables are available on an individual’s Raptor Maps account and make it easy to understand the PV systems performance. Each solar anomaly is found, classified, localized, and prioritized. The reports are downloadable, shareable, and provide key insights into the PV systems performance.

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Available Levels of Inspection

Raptor Maps offers three levels of inspection; Overview, Standard, and Comprehensive. These levels differ in flight altitude, data capture time, level of analysis, and the level of detail in the final deliverables.

Overview Level Inspection

Summary: An Overview inspection is flown at the highest altitude, inspections are performed very quickly, due to a maximum flight speed of 30 MPH (48 KMH), allowing for very large sites to be inspected quickly.

Infrared thermal imagery: 10-15 cm/px resolution

HD RGB Imagery: 5 cm/px resolution

Identifiable Anomalies Include: Offline Inverters and Combiners, Anomalous Strings, Tracker Off Alignment or in Stow, and Module Level Faults affecting the entire module’s performance.

Standard Level Inspection

Summary: Standard level aerial inspections balance altitude, speed, and granular site data. The level of detail in the collected data provides teams an understanding of the performance of 100% of the PV system modules.

Infrared thermal imagery: 5-6 cm/px resolution

HD RGB Imagery: 1.5-2 cm/px resolution

Identifiable Anomalies Include: All anomalies identified at the Raptor Overview level, as well as physical and visible module damage including cracked/broken modules, thin-film delamination, soiling and surface coverage of the PV module(s). Additional sub-module findings also include: diode faults, cell and multi-cell defects, and faulty junction box. Suspected PID, shading issues due to tree lines, obstructions, or adjacent rows, and damage to rows and tables.

Comprehensive Level Inspection

Summary: Comprehensive level aerial IR inspections are performed in compliance with IEC standards. It provides highly detailed, sub-module level granular data and allows teams to thoroughly understand the performance of each PV module. This inspection level offers absolute temperature accuracy and enables accurate sorting and prioritization of both module and string-level anomalies by temperature intensity.

Infrared thermal imagery: 3 cm/px resolution

HD RGB Imagery: 1 cm/px resolution

Identifiable Anomalies Include: All anomalies identified at the Raptor Overview and Raptor Standard levels as well as data analysis in accordance with IEC TS 62446-3 Technical Specification: Photovoltaic (PV) systems. More detailed classifications of single-cell hot spot with ΔT > 10 K, heated junction box with ΔT > 4 K, and substring in short circuit with ΔT > 4 K.

Explore Our Software Platform

Raptor Solar is an advanced software platform for the entire solar lifecycle —from financing and construction through operations. Powered by our industry-leading data model, Raptor Solar lets you optimize your PV assets, standardize data, analyze insights and collaborate. Strengthen asset efficiency, boost staff effectiveness and ultimately lift financial return.

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