Why use this template
A well-written scope of works is the difference between a useful thermal inspection report and a stack of pretty thermal photos. This template follows the spirit of IEC TS 62446-3, which covers outdoor infrared thermography of PV modules, adapted for Irish conditions and typical commercial and agri-PV installations.
Drop it into your procurement process or brief a drone operator with it. It tells the inspector exactly what to look for, how to document it, and what an acceptable deliverable looks like.
1. Asset identification
- Site name and address
- Total installed capacity (kWp)
- Number of arrays, strings, and modules in scope
- Inverter count and manufacturer
- Site layout drawing reference
- Previous inspection history
2. Environmental conditions required
- Minimum irradiance at panel plane: 600 W/m² (700 W/m² preferred)
- Wind speed below 5 m/s at panel height
- Ambient temperature above 5 °C
- Sky condition: stable cloud cover or clear sky, no transient cloud
- Inspection window: mid-morning to mid-afternoon for solar angle
- All strings operating at MPPT, no curtailment during the survey
3. Capture requirements
- Sensor: radiometric thermal, minimum 640 × 512 resolution
- Ground sampling distance: 3 cm/pixel maximum at module surface
- Overlap: 80% forward, 70% side for orthomosaic creation
- Capture angle: nadir, stabilised gimbal
- Flight altitude: 25 to 40 m above array plane
- Parallel RGB capture to allow visual cross-reference of anomalies
4. Anomaly classification
| Class | Observation | Typical cause | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| A · Low | Cell ΔT < 3 K | Soiling, partial shading | Monitor at next inspection |
| B · Medium | Cell ΔT 3–10 K | Single hot cell, bypass diode | Schedule in next O&M window |
| C · High | Cell ΔT > 10 K, multi-cell | String-level fault, short circuit | Investigate within 7 days |
| D · Critical | Substring, full module, junction box | Open circuit, arcing, fire risk | Isolate and investigate immediately |
5. Deliverables
- Thermal orthomosaic of the entire array in GeoTIFF format
- RGB orthomosaic for cross-reference
- Anomaly register (PDF and CSV) listing each defect, class, coordinates, module ID, thumbnails
- Summary dashboard: defect counts by class, estimated yield impact, priority list
- Flight log, aircraft details, operator authorisation, weather record
Need this customised for a specific project? If you are preparing a tender, condition survey, or project handover and need this tailored to your site, asset type, or regulatory context, we can usually turn a custom version around in a day. Talk to our team or browse the full Assets Hub for more templates.