Exposing Hidden Failures in PV Systems
HOVVR conducted a detailed drone-based solar inspection at the rooftop installation of Versalof in Steenhuffel. The goal was to detect malfunctioning panels, broken substrings, and cell-level performance degradation—without disrupting operations.
By using thermal cameras mounted on drones, we scanned for temperature anomalies between solar cells and panels. Such differences often signal electrical faults that can reduce system output or pose fire risks. While our method identifies hotspots and deviations, final diagnostics and repair still require a certified solar technician. Nonetheless, this inspection provided Versalof with a clear, visual overview of current panel health—enabling proactive maintenance decisions.
Thermal Data Analysis & Fault Classification
Captured thermal images were processed using Agisoft Metashape, which enabled precise hotspot detection, spatial correlation, and severity tagging across the entire array.
Each thermal anomaly was assigned a severity level:
8 critical issues – indicating likely complete panel failure
1 high severity – linked to a broken substring (possible 33% energy loss)
11 moderate issues – mostly related to overheated cells or minor hotspots
Every fault was geo-located with exact GPS coordinates and linked to the corresponding thermal image. These findings can be shared directly with solar technicians for on-site troubleshooting and repair.
