Drone Thermal Imaging in Ireland
Drone Services Ireland provides aerial thermal imaging inspections for solar farms and rooftop solar panel installations across Ireland. Thermal inspections are a core part of our business – we conduct numerous solar farm thermal surveys every year for asset managers, O&M companies, and solar developers. Our data capture is paired with specialist analysis from Above Surveying, a UK-based market leader in solar thermography since 2015, whose SolarGain platform delivers IEC 62446-3 compliant reporting that clients can use for maintenance planning, warranty claims, and asset performance optimisation.
Ireland has surpassed 2 GW of installed solar capacity, with a government target of 8 GW by 2030. As the national solar fleet grows – with hundreds of utility-scale farms coming online through the RESS auction programme and over 170,000 rooftops now fitted with panels – the demand for regular, standards-compliant thermal inspections is increasing every year. We are positioned to meet that demand with the right equipment, the right analysis partner, and nearly a decade of commercial drone operations across Ireland.
Solar Farm Thermal Inspections
Solar farm thermal inspection is the largest component of our thermal imaging work. We fly utility-scale and commercial solar farms across Ireland, capturing radiometric thermal and high-resolution RGB imagery of every module on site. The thermal data reveals faults that are invisible to the naked eye – from individual hot cells to entire offline strings – allowing operators to identify, prioritise, and address performance issues before they escalate into significant energy losses or safety risks.
Our inspections comply with IEC TS 62446-3:2017, the international standard for outdoor infrared thermography of photovoltaic systems. This standard defines the environmental conditions, equipment specifications, camera angles, and reporting frameworks that ensure thermal inspection data is consistent, defensible, and suitable for warranty claims, technical due diligence, and regulatory compliance. Operating to this standard is not optional for serious solar inspection work – it is the baseline that asset managers, investors, and O&M companies expect.
How We Inspect Solar Farms
We fly the site in a systematic grid pattern using our DJI Matrice 300 RTK equipped with a radiometric thermal camera (640×512 resolution). Every flight is GPS/RTK geotagged, so each thermal and RGB image can be precisely mapped back to individual modules and strings on the site plan.
Environmental conditions must meet the requirements of IEC 62446-3 before we fly. This means solar irradiance above 600 W/m², wind speed below 28 km/h, minimal cloud cover, no partial shading on the array, and the system operating at steady state under load. These conditions are non-negotiable – data captured outside these parameters is unreliable. In the Irish climate, weather window management is a critical component of every solar thermal project, and our mission-planning process accounts for this from the outset.
A typical utility-scale farm can be flown in a matter of hours. Once the data is captured, we transfer the full radiometric dataset to Above Surveying for processing and analysis through their SolarGain platform.
Data Analysis by Above Surveying
We partner with Above Surveying for all solar farm thermal data analysis. Above has been at the forefront of drone-based solar inspection since 2015, working with major solar operators including Lightsource BP, Low Carbon, RES, Exus, and PI Berlin across the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Their SolarGain platform uses AI and computer vision to process our radiometric thermal imagery, automatically detecting and classifying anomalies at the module and cell levels. Their power loss model—developed in collaboration with Loughborough University’s Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (C.R.E.S.T.) – quantifies the energy impact of each defect in the site’s electrical design. This is not a generic estimate; it is a forensic, module-level assessment of how much power each anomaly is costing the operator.
The result is a comprehensive, IEC-compliant inspection report that includes thermal and RGB orthomosaics, a georeferenced anomaly register, defect classification by severity, power loss calculations, and prioritised remedial recommendations. Clients access their data through the SolarGain web portal, with historical data used to build a performance baseline across the asset’s lifetime.
This partnership means our Irish clients receive the same quality of analysis used on GW-scale portfolios across Europe – without having to source separate analysis services themselves.
What Thermal Imaging Detects on Solar Farms
Radiometric thermal cameras detect temperature differentials across PV modules. Healthy cells operate at a uniform temperature; faulty cells, connections, or components show up as abnormally hot or cold areas. The severity of each anomaly is classified by the temperature differential (ΔT) relative to surrounding healthy cells.
Module-level defects include hot spots caused by cracked or damaged cells, faulty solder joints, or cell degradation. A single hot cell can reduce string output and, if left unaddressed, can present a fire risk. Bypassed substrings – where a bypass diode activates because a cell group has failed – show as one-third or two-thirds of a module appearing uniformly warmer than the rest. Bypass diode failures manifest as localised heat at the junction box. Potential Induced Degradation (PID) presents as subtle, uniform warming across affected modules, typically at the edges of the array.
String-level and system-level issues are also identifiable. An entire offline string will appear uniformly warmer as modules absorb solar radiation without converting it to electricity – representing 100% power loss on that string. Inverter failures cause all connected modules to display similar thermal patterns.
External factors such as soiling, bird droppings, vegetation encroachment, and partial shading also create detectable thermal patterns. While these are reversible through cleaning or vegetation management, identifying them early prevents cumulative performance degradation.
Defects are classified by severity: anomalies with ΔT below 10°C are typically monitored over time; those between 10–20°C warrant investigation and scheduled repair; and those above 20°C require immediate attention and may qualify for manufacturer warranty claims.
Who Commissions Solar Farm Thermal Inspections
Asset managers and owners commission thermal inspections as part of annual or biannual preventive maintenance programmes. O&M companies include them in service contracts. EPC contractors require inspections during commissioning and the warranty period. Investors and lenders request thermal reports for technical due diligence during acquisitions, refinancing, or portfolio transactions. Insurance providers may also require evidence of regular inspection for claims or policy compliance.
With Ireland’s RESS programme delivering hundreds of new solar farms – from PCRE’s GW-scale portfolio to ESB’s growing fleet, Statkraft’s Meath developments, and Ørsted’s Carlow projects – the inspection market is expanding rapidly as these assets move from construction into operational management.
Rooftop Solar Panel Inspections
With over 170,000 Irish rooftops now fitted with solar panels and approximately 950 new systems being installed every week, the rooftop solar fleet is creating a growing inspection market. The SEAI residential grant of €1,800 and non-domestic grants of up to €162,600 are accelerating installations, and the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) will require solar installations on new non-residential buildings above 250 m² from 31 December 2026.
Commercial rooftop systems are particularly important for thermal inspection. Unlike residential systems of 10–20 panels, where the economics of a drone inspection are harder to justify, commercial rooftops with 50, 100, or 500+ panels on warehouses, factories, schools, hospitals, and retail buildings are assets worth monitoring. As these systems age, cell degradation, connection failures, and environmental damage accumulate. Thermal inspection identifies underperforming panels efficiently without requiring roof access.
For commercial and industrial clients with rooftop solar, we recommend combining thermal solar panel inspection with a broader roof condition survey. A single drone deployment can assess both the PV system and the underlying roof membrane, flashing, and drainage, delivering two reports from a single site visit.
Our Equipment
We use the DJI Matrice 300 RTK for thermal imaging operations. This platform carries our radiometric thermal camera alongside a high-resolution RGB sensor, capturing both datasets simultaneously on every flight. RTK positioning ensures centimetre-level geotagging accuracy, which is essential for mapping anomalies back to specific modules on the site plan.
The radiometric thermal camera stores per-pixel temperature data – not just a visual thermal image. This is critical for IEC 62446-3 compliance, as it enables precise ΔT calculations during analysis. Non-radiometric thermal cameras, which only produce relative colour maps, do not meet the standard for professional solar inspection work.
Our equipment specifications meet or exceed IEC requirements for geometric resolution (minimum 5×5 pixels per cell), thermal sensitivity (≤50 mK NETD), and temperature accuracy (±2°C). Flight parameters – camera angle, overlap, altitude, and speed – are set according to IEC 62446-3 guidelines for each site.
Compliance and Insurance
We conduct thermal inspections at solar farms and commercial rooftop sites across Ireland. Our location pages for Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, and Mayo describe our broader survey and inspection work in each region. For solar thermal inspections specifically, we are available nationwide – the concentration of solar farms across the midlands, south-east, and east of Ireland (where RESS projects are clustered) means we are regularly deploying to counties including Meath, Westmeath, Wexford, Carlow, Cork, Offaly, Tipperary, Limerick, and Kildare.
For multi-site portfolios, we can schedule inspections across several farms in a single deployment window, reducing mobilisation costs and ensuring consistent data quality across the portfolio.
Why Choose Drone Services Ireland for Thermal Imaging
We are among the few Irish drone operators with dedicated thermal imaging capability for solar farms, backed by a specialist analysis partner. Our partnership with Above Surveying means Irish clients receive IEC 62446-3-compliant data capture and analysis from a team that has been setting the standard in solar thermography since 2015, without the cost or complexity of engaging UK-based flight crews.
We capture the data on the ground in Ireland. Above Surveying analyses it through SolarGain. The client receives a complete, standards-compliant inspection report with defect classification, power loss modelling, and prioritised recommendations – the same deliverable that major European solar portfolios rely on.
Combined with our surveying and mapping, LiDAR, and construction monitoring capabilities, we can support solar projects from pre-construction topographic survey through to operational thermal inspection – a full lifecycle service that no other Irish drone operator currently matches.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should solar farms be thermally inspected?
IEC 62446-3 recommends at minimum every four years, but industry best practice for utility-scale farms in Ireland is annual or biannual inspection. Most O&M contracts specify at least one thermal inspection per year. A baseline inspection should also be carried out at commissioning and after the first year of operation.
What weather conditions are needed for a thermal inspection?
IEC 62446-3 requires solar irradiance above 600 W/m², wind speed below 28 km/h, minimal cloud cover, and the PV system operating under load at thermal steady state. In Ireland, the optimal inspection window is typically May to September when irradiance conditions are most reliably met. We monitor conditions carefully and will only fly when data quality can be guaranteed.
What is IEC 62446-3 and why does it matter?
IEC TS 62446-3:2017 is the international technical specification for outdoor infrared thermography of photovoltaic systems. It defines the environmental conditions, equipment standards, inspection methodology, and reporting requirements for thermal inspections. Compliance matters because asset managers, investors, and panel manufacturers require IEC-compliant reports for warranty claims, technical due diligence, and O&M contract compliance. Non-compliant inspections may not be accepted.
Who is Above Surveying?
Above Surveying is a UK-based specialist in drone inspection and analytics for the solar industry. Operating since 2015, they developed the SolarGain platform for thermographic analysis and work with major solar operators across Europe. Their power loss model was developed with Loughborough University’s C.R.E.S.T. We capture the thermal data in Ireland; Above Surveying processes and analyses it, delivering IEC-compliant reports to our clients.
Can you inspect rooftop solar panels as well as solar farms?
Yes. We inspect commercial and industrial rooftop solar installations using the same radiometric thermal cameras and IEC-aligned methodology. For commercial buildings, we can combine a solar panel thermal inspection with a broader roof condition survey in a single site visit. Residential rooftop systems with a small number of panels may be better suited to handheld thermal inspection depending on the scale.