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Is Drone Thermal Imaging Taking Over Solar Panel Inspections?
While a standard visual inspection of solar panels helps solar owners catch problems and help prevent them, thermal imaging inspections offer some things that a visual inspection can't. Is one better then the other? Lets take a look at both!
A visual inspection of solar panels can catch cracked frames or glass as well as mounting issues and power losses from diving into the production history of the panels. A visual inspection is recommended once a year and the average cost can be around $150. A visual inspection helps home owners catch problems that are usually covered under their solar panel warranties. Sense solar panels have such good warranties the investment for the inspection each year is well worth it to keep your system operating correctly.
A thermal imaging solar panel inspection by drone is another type of inspection that should be done every year as well but the cost of these inspections are a bit higher sending home owners away from the idea. Some companies charge up to $650 for this service and for a long time has been kept to larger solar farms because of the cost. BUT what this inspection allows that a visual inspection does not is detect hot spots AND their exact panel location of the hot spot. This is huge. Unless you study your PV systems output charts from week to week and month to month regularly this could be a hard thing to catch. This is almost always covered under solar panel warranties and the $650 inspection is justified, but for home owners to dish out $950 a year for both inspections and an annual solar panel cleaning just doesn't sit to well.
Some companies have realized this large cost and have been working together to bring costs down for the customer. If your in California in the Central West Coast Region (Pismo, Avila, Morro Bay, Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Arroyo Grande, Nipomo..etc.) your in luck!
Prestridge Solar and 805drone have been working together to deliver all of these services for a fraction of the price in the central west coast region. A single story home (30 panels or less) can expect to pay far less for a Visual Solar Panel Inspection, Drone Thermal Imaging Inspection and a Solar Panel Cleaning annual package deal through Prestridge Solar. These companies are working hard together everyday to drive this price down even further so be sure to contact Prestridge Solar to see what they have to offer!
PRESTRIDGE SOLAR