Drone Services for the Renewable Energy Sector in Ireland
Drone Services Ireland provides specialist drone survey and inspection services for Ireland’s renewable energy sector. We work with solar farm operators, wind farm owners, ESB Networks, engineering consultancies and project developers to deliver accurate, safety-compliant aerial data that supports asset management, pre-construction planning and regulatory compliance.
Since 2016, we have delivered renewable energy projects, including a 300-acre solar farm, thermal and mapping survey, and 15 km of high-voltage power line corridor mapping using LiDAR and photogrammetry for solar farm grid connection planning. All surveys are delivered with survey-grade accuracy using RTK-enabled DJI Enterprise platforms.
Solar Farm Inspections
Our drone thermal imaging service detects underperforming panels, hot spots, bypass-diode failures, and PID degradation across utility-scale and commercial rooftop solar installations. We inspect to the IEC 62446-3 standards and deliver calibrated thermal orthomosaics with panel-level anomaly classification. Data analysis is provided by our partner, Above Surveying, which returns actionable defect reports that maintenance teams can act on immediately.
For pre-construction solar farm planning, we provide topographic drone surveys and LiDAR terrain mapping to generate DTMs, contour data and shade analysis inputs for panel layout design.
Wind Turbine Blade and Tower Inspections
We provide comprehensive drone wind turbine inspections covering blades, towers, nacelles and foundations. Using automated orbital flight paths and high-resolution zoom cameras, we capture every surface of each blade at a consistent resolution without requiring turbine shutdown for rope-access teams. Our experience includes inspections completed for ESB-operated wind farms.
Inspections identify leading-edge erosion, lightning strike damage, surface cracks, delamination and drainage hole blockages. Thermal imaging detects subsurface blade defects and bearing overheating in nacelle housings.
Power Line and Grid Infrastructure Surveys
Our drone corridor survey service maps power line routes, pylons, substations and associated infrastructure for grid connection planning, vegetation encroachment assessment and condition monitoring. We have surveyed 15 km of 220 kV and 110 kV power lines using combined LiDAR and photogrammetry, delivering 3D models, conductor sag profiles and clearance measurements.
For substation and switchgear inspections, our thermal imaging capability detects hot joints, overloaded bus bars and failing connections from a safe standoff distance, supporting preventive maintenance programmes without requiring power shutdowns.
LiDAR Surveys for Renewable Energy Planning
Drone LiDAR surveys are essential for renewable energy site selection and planning. LiDAR penetrates vegetation canopy to deliver bare-earth digital terrain models that accurately represent ground conditions, even on overgrown or inaccessible sites. This data supports wind farm micrositing, solar panel layout design, access road planning and environmental impact assessment.
Our Zenmuse L2 LiDAR sensor captures 5 returns per pulse at 240,000 points per second (single return), producing dense point clouds with 5 cm vertical accuracy at 150 m altitude. For large renewable energy sites, drone LiDAR covers ground 60 to 70% faster than traditional ground survey methods at a fraction of the cost.
Our Renewable Energy Credentials
Drone Services Ireland has provided drone services to the renewable energy sector since 2016. Our credentials include:
Proven experience with ESB Networks and ESB-operated wind farms.
IEC 62446-3 compliant solar farm thermal inspections with specialist data analysis.
Full EASA Specific Category authorisation for operations near high-voltage infrastructure and in restricted airspace.
Flight Termination Systems and Parachute Recovery Systems are fitted to all platforms as standard for operations near critical national infrastructure.
€6.5M public liability insurance cover.
Secretary of Drone Professionals Ireland; former Chair, IPDPA.
Read our 300-acre solar farm case study and our power line LiDAR and photogrammetry case study to see examples of our renewable energy work.
Frequently Asked Questions
We recommend annual thermal inspections for utility-scale solar farms and every 2 to 3 years for commercial rooftop installations. New installations should be inspected within the first 12 months to identify manufacturing defects covered under warranty.
We inspect with blades locked in a stationary position. This ensures consistent, high-resolution image capture of every blade surface. A full three-blade inspection typically takes 30 to 45 minutes of flight time per turbine.
We hold full EASA Specific Category authorisation with documented risk assessments for operations near high-voltage power lines and substations. Our platforms are fitted with Flight Termination Systems and Parachute Recovery Systems as mandatory mitigation for operations near critical national infrastructure.
Yes. Our survey data is delivered in IRENET95 (ITM) projection and CAD-compatible formats accepted by planning authorities. We support Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) submissions with topographic surveys, vegetation mapping and visual impact assessments.