Inspecting Your Solar Panels with Drone Photography

Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that can have cameras attached to them. This means you can have images taken from a height for inspections for maintenance or damage. They are especially useful if you have damage to your solar panels which are usually placed at height on your roof.

What is Drone Photography?

Putting a camera on a drone and sending it up into the sky is a great way to capture still photographs or video images of tall buildings or objects like solar panels. The drone is manned by a controller on the ground who can make the drone fly at several different angles so that you get a comprehensive picture of what is above.

Why Will it Help Me Inspect My Solar Panels?

If your solar panels are on your roof, then getting a look at them isn’t easy. Traditionally you would need the service of a scaffolding company to erect scaffolding in order that a person can inspect your solar panels if they have been damaged. This could take a few days with the risk of further damage because the repair cannot be dealt with immediately.
A drone can get up to the solar panels and complete an inspection within about an hour. That means the images your insurance company require can be with them at the office within a day or two. If the matter is very urgent an inspector can accompany us on the drone inspection and watch high resolution video footage in real time from our vehicle.

Is It Safe?

Yes. We hold a license from The Civil Aviation Authority and we have high safety standards. We inspect the area before we send up a drone with a camera and as a courtesy we always inform your neighbours nearby. Our operatives always wear high-vis vests to stand out on an inspection site.
If you compare the traditional method of climbing up a height which requires ladders or scaffolding, there is always a risk of falling. Using a drone means there is no such risk.

Can a Drone Inspection Save me Money?

In some cases, yes. If you want to inspect your solar panels and contract a scaffolding company to come and erect scaffolding and walk boards the costs could be higher than simply using a drone for inspection purposes. Scaffolding will usually have to be placed around the building to give access and make finding any damage easier. Drone photography can give you images at angles that might not be possible using traditional photography.

What Do You Do at an Inspection?

Once we’ve inspected the area we will then attach our camera to the drone and send it up to the height of your solar panels. We will then take various images from different angles to give you a good view. After we have taken still photographs we will then attach a video camera to the drone and make a video using high resolution 4k footage. Normally we then take the images back with us to our Dundee office to be edited and sent out to the appropriate parties. If, however, the matter is urgent you or a representative from your insurance company can accompany us to the inspection. Live footage can then be viewed from our vehicle in real time.

What are the Costs likely to be?

Each project is different and that’s why we aren’t able to give you an idea of costs here and now. If you want to know more about our service and receive a quote, then please give us a call on 01382 609015 or fill in the contact form on our website. We’d love to hear from you.

Get a Quote

If you would like to talk to us about our drone survey and inspections give one of our offices a call and we will be happy to talk through your project. We travel throughout Scotland and you can reach us at:

Or use our contact form and we will get back to you within 24 hours