Drone School 'Drone School Commons Tachikawa Tachihi' Launches Solar Panel Infrared Inspection Service

Drone School Commons Tachikawa Tachihi, part of the Drone School Tokyo Group, announced that the operating company, ARA Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture; Representative Director: Masanori Arai), has launched a solar panel infrared inspection service utilizing drones and infrared cameras.

With the recent proliferation of renewable energy, aging solar power facilities and declining power generation efficiency due to malfunctions have become nationwide issues. The company uses high-performance infrared cameras mounted on drones to analyze temperature differences on the surface of solar panels, efficiently detecting abnormalities that cannot be identified by the naked eye.

Main solar panel abnormalities:
- Hot spots
- Cell cracks
- Wiring defects
- Connection failures
- Bypass diode failures
- Underperforming panels
- Power loss due to dirt

Neglecting these abnormalities can lead not only to reduced power generation but also to fire risks and shortened equipment lifespan.

Benefits of drone inspection:
1. No scaffolding required: Cost savings are possible as large-scale temporary construction is unnecessary.
2. Rapid wide-area survey: Possible to inspect from mega-solar farms to factory roofs in a short time.
3. Visualization of power loss: Accurately identify abnormal areas using infrared images.
4. Improved safety: Reduces work at heights, ensuring worker safety.
5. AI-powered diagnostics: Efficiently extract abnormal areas by performing AI analysis on acquired data.

Recommended conditions for inspection:
For highly accurate diagnostics, the company recommends conducting inspections on clear days during peak sunshine hours, with wind speeds of 5m/s or less, and outdoor temperatures of 15°C or higher.

Target facilities:
Mega-solar farms, factories/warehouses, commercial facilities, schools, public facilities, solar equipment in shared spaces of apartment complexes, and municipal facilities.

ARA Co., Ltd.'s strengths:
The company is a construction firm with 30 years of history and over 2,000 building survey and repair projects. Collaborating with drone pilots, construction engineers, infrared inspection technicians, and repair proposal specialists, the company provides a one-stop response from investigation, analysis, reporting, and repair proposals to actual construction.

Future outlook:
ARA Co., Ltd. will continue to promote the maintenance of buildings, infrastructure, and solar power facilities utilizing drone technology, contributing to the construction of a sustainable social infrastructure.