Above - Autonomous Drone for Solar Plant Monitoring
Above offers an advanced solution for solar plant management using autonomous drones. Initially collaborating with Octopus Renewables in 2022, Above introduced drones to autonomously oversee solar plant operations. These drones collect substantial data, assisting in decision processes and enhancing operational efficiency. Through the integration of SolarGain's detailed plant mapping and AI-driven image processing, the system offers superior quality preventative maintenance, increasing personnel efficiency. The drones can perform targeted inspections using visual and thermographic analyses, especially valuable when anomalies are detected in SCADA systems. Above's digital twin platform responds proactively to alerts, transforming how solar infrastructure is monitored and maintained. By utilizing this technology, asset owners gain firsthand insights into optimized operations through customized trials. Above’s innovative approach stands to redefine the construction and management of solar plants, offering scalable, actionable insights for improved performance.
Above has pioneered the use of autonomous drones on solar plants, conducting our first customer trial with Octopus Renewables, back in 2022.
As an early adopter of autonomous drone technology, we have multiple units actively deployed in the field, testing and gathering valuable data. Our customers are already experiencing the powerful insights these drones provide, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency.
By connecting your SolarGain component-level plant map with Above’s AI-powered image processing, you can harness the power of a resident drone to deliver the insights you need. This allows you to increase the MWp-to-personnel ratio while providing higher-quality preventative maintenance.
Construction Monitoring
Track progress, ensure quality control, and maintain oversight during the build phase.
Security & Intrusion Alerts
Rapidly assess potential threats and improve site security.
Fire Risk Monitoring
Identify early warning signs of potential fire hazards before they escalate.
Storm Damage Inspections
Conduct fast, targeted inspections to assess damage and plan repairs.
Replacing Site Walk Inspections
Increase efficiency by automating routine checks without requiring on-the-ground personnel.
Investigating Performance Alerts
Respond to SCADA alerts with real-time aerial inspections for faster fault diagnosis.
Preventative Maintenance
Detect early signs of wear, overheating, or damage to optimise maintenance and extend asset lifespan.
Grid Infrastructure Inspections
Extend monitoring beyond the solar plant to check substations, transmission lines, and transformers.
Vegetation Management
Monitor and assess vegetation growth around solar arrays to prevent shading losses and fire risks.
Efficiency and Cost Reduction
Perform routine operational inspections more frequently, efficiently, and consistently than human technicians, giving you valuable insights into plant component conditions and on-site activities.
Power Predictive Analytics
Higher frequency image collection generates larger datasets, enabling deeper analysis, smarter decision making, and more accurate performance insights, helping you optimise your solar assets more effectively.
Increased Construction Quality
Before operation, this technology can be deployed to monitor and provide forensic oversight during the construction phase of a solar plant, ensuring you stay on track and maintain quality.
Enhanced Plant Monitoring
By integrating our SolarGain Digital Twin platform with your SCADA and monitoring systems, our autonomous drones can be deployed in response to alerts or performance anomalies, conducting on-demand visual and thermographic inspections of specific components, areas, or circuits.