How to Evaluate a Drone-Based EL Inspection System for Solar Farms
Drone-based inspection is attractive to solar farm operators because it offers a flexible way to survey large installations. However, using a drone for electroluminescence imaging presents requirements that differ from ordinary aerial photography. Before investing in a drone-based EL inspection system, buyers should evaluate the entire inspection workflow, from module excitation and image capture to data review and follow-up testing. 1. Define the Inspection Objective Begin by identifying what the system needs to accomplish. Is the goal to screen a large site, investigate selected modules, document installation quality, or provide detailed cell-level defect images? The answer determines the required imaging quality, inspection distance, flight strategy, and acceptable level of diagnostic uncertainty. 2. Confirm the EL Testing Method EL imaging generally requires electrical excitation of the solar module. Ask the supplier to explain how this requirement will be addressed in the...