Drone Thermal Imaging Inspections Across Ireland
Aerial thermal imaging for solar farms, rooftop solar panels, buildings, and industrial infrastructure. IEC 62446-3 compliant solar inspections with specialist analysis by Above Surveying. Radiometric thermal cameras capturing calibrated temperature data for maintenance planning, warranty claims, and asset performance. EASA-certified, €6.5M insured.
Ireland has surpassed 2 GW of installed solar capacity. Contact us for inspection pricing
OUR THERMAL SERVICES
What We Inspect
- We fly utility-scale and commercial solar farms capturing radiometric thermal and high-resolution RGB imagery of every module. Thermal data reveals faults invisible to the naked eye, from individual hot cells to entire offline strings. Inspections comply with IEC TS 62446-3:2017. Data is analysed by Above Surveying through their SolarGain platform using AI and computer vision, with power loss modelling developed with Loughborough University's C.R.E.S.T.
- Using the DJI H20T radiometric thermal sensor on our Matrice 300 RTK, we capture calibrated thermal data across entire building envelopes. Detects heat loss through roofs, walls and window frames; moisture ingress behind cladding and flat roof membranes; underfloor heating faults; and cold bridging at junctions and lintels. Valuable for local authorities, commercial property managers, and insurance assessors.
- Non-contact assessment of electrical substations, transformer stations, switchgear, and distribution panels to identify hot spots. For telecoms towers, thermal data reveals overheated antenna feeds and cable joints. Supports preventive maintenance, insurance renewals, and post-incident investigations.
- Over 170,000 Irish rooftops now fitted with solar panels. Commercial systems of 50 to 500+ panels on warehouses, factories, schools, and hospitals are assets worth monitoring. We recommend combining thermal solar inspection with a broader roof condition survey in a single drone deployment.
- Module-level: hot spots from cracked cells, faulty solder joints, bypassed substrings, bypass diode failures, PID. String-level: offline strings showing uniform warming (100% power loss). External: soiling, bird droppings, vegetation encroachment. Severity classified by delta-T: below 10 degrees C monitored, 10 to 20 degrees C scheduled repair, above 20 degrees C immediate attention.
DELIVERABLES
What You Receive
Radiometric Thermal Imagery
Per-pixel temperature data in standard radiometric formats for engineering analysis
RGB Visual Imagery
High-resolution geotagged photographs captured alongside thermal data
Thermal Orthomosaics
Stitched thermal maps of entire solar farms or building envelopes
IEC-Compliant Reports
Full inspection reports meeting IEC 62446-3 standards via Above Surveying's SolarGain platform
Anomaly Register
Georeferenced defect classification by severity with delta-T measurements
Power Loss Analysis
Module-level energy impact calculations quantifying cost of each defect
Prioritised Recommendations
Remedial actions ranked by severity and impact for maintenance planning
Aerial Thermal vs Handheld Thermal Camera
| Factor | Aerial Thermal | Handheld Thermal |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage Area | Entire roof + all facades in one flight | Limited to what you can physically reach |
| Time Required | 20-40 minutes for a complete building | Several hours for partial coverage |
| Perspective | Top-down + oblique angles on all sides | Ground-level only, upward angles |
| Data Type | Full radiometric thermal map, every pixel measured | Individual spot readings and images |
| Cost | Single mobilisation covers everything | Lower equipment cost, higher labour time |
Handheld Strengths
Good for spot-checking specific areas inside a building. Useful for tracing a known leak or checking individual components. But limited to what you can physically access, and a ground-level perspective misses the entire roof surface where most heat loss occurs.
Aerial Strengths
Covers the entire building envelope in one flight. Complete thermal picture of roof, walls, and penetrations. Identifies issues you would never see from ground level, particularly on large commercial roofs or multi-storey facades where scaffold access would be needed otherwise.
When to Use Both
Aerial survey first for the big picture. Identify the problem areas across the entire building envelope. Then a handheld follow-up on specific areas of concern, particularly interior spaces where the aerial data flagged anomalies. This combination gives you the complete diagnostic, inside and out.
Discuss Your Thermal Inspection Project
Tell us about your solar farm, building, or infrastructure. We will confirm methodology, scheduling, and a fixed quote. No obligation.
IEC 62446-3
Above Surveying
Since 2016
€6.5M Insured
WHO COMMISSIONS THERMAL INSPECTIONS
Applications and Clients
When Thermal Imaging Works (and When It Doesn't)
Best Conditions
Early morning before sunrise. The building has cooled overnight but the interior heating is still running. You need a temperature difference between inside and outside for defects to show on the thermal image.
Irish weather is actually ideal for this work. Cool mornings, heated buildings, and frequent overcast skies that prevent solar heating from masking genuine defects. We get a longer survey window here than operators in sunnier climates.
When It Does Not Work
Middle of summer at midday. The sun heats all surfaces equally, so heat loss patterns disappear into background noise.
Unheated buildings with no temperature differential give you nothing useful. Very windy conditions cause convective cooling across all surfaces, which masks the conductive heat loss you are trying to detect.
A thermal survey done at the wrong time gives misleading results. We schedule morning flights specifically for building diagnostics and will postpone if conditions are not right. There is no point delivering a report full of false positives because someone insisted on flying at noon in July.
Why Choose Us for Thermal Imaging
IEC 62446-3 Compliance
Data capture meets international standards for solar thermography. Reports accepted for warranty claims and due diligence.
Above Surveying Partnership
Specialist analysis through SolarGain platform. AI-powered defect detection and power loss modelling from a European market leader.
Radiometric Thermal Cameras
Per-pixel temperature data, not just colour maps. Essential for accurate delta-T calculations and professional reporting.
Full Lifecycle Support
From pre-construction topographic survey through to operational thermal inspection. Surveying, LiDAR, and construction monitoring alongside thermal.
Industry Leadership
Secretary, Drone Professionals Ireland. Former Chair, IPDPA. Former Co-Chair, UAAI. Operating since 2016.
Nationwide Coverage
Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Multi-site portfolio inspections with efficient scheduling.
Our Sensor
DJI Zenmuse H20T
Four sensors in one gimbal: wide-angle camera, 23x zoom camera, radiometric thermal camera, and laser rangefinder. This is the sensor that stays on the aircraft for thermal work because it gives us everything in a single flight.
Radiometric means every pixel records an actual temperature value, not just a colour gradient. This matters because you can measure exact temperature differentials across a surface. A colourised thermal image looks impressive but tells you very little without the numbers behind it.
640x512
Thermal Resolution
±2°C
Accuracy
-20 to 150°C
Temperature Range
23x
Optical Zoom
From Brief to Report
Site Assessment
You share site details, module layout, and inspection requirements. We confirm methodology, scheduling, and weather window planning.
Data Capture
We fly the site in a systematic grid using our Matrice 300 RTK with radiometric thermal camera. Every image is GPS/RTK geotagged.
Analysis by Above Surveying
Radiometric data is transferred to Above Surveying for processing through SolarGain. AI detects and classifies anomalies at module level.
Report Delivery
IEC-compliant report with thermal orthomosaics, anomaly register, power loss calculations, and prioritised recommendations.
Thermal Inspections Across All 32 Counties
Solar farm inspections concentrated across the midlands, south-east, and east where RESS projects are clustered. Building and infrastructure thermal surveys available nationwide.
Other Services You May Need
Roof Inspection
Visual and thermal roof condition surveys for commercial and residential properties
Infrastructure Inspection
Bridges, pylons, chimneys, wind turbines, and solar farm structures
Construction Monitoring
Progress photography and site mapping for solar farm builds
Topographical Survey
Pre-construction site surveys for solar farm planning applications
Frequently Asked Questions
IEC 62446-3 recommends at least every 4 years, but industry best practice for utility-scale farms in Ireland is an 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Book Your Thermal Inspection
Solar farms, rooftop systems, buildings, or infrastructure. Tell us what you need and we will confirm methodology, scheduling, and pricing. No obligation.
Since 2016
IEC 62446-3
€6.5M Insured
All 32 Counties