Autonomous Drone

Above and Autonomous Robotics

Above has pioneered the use of autonomous drones on solar plants, conducting our first customer trial with Octopus Renewables, back in 2022.

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Trailblazing the Future of Solar

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.

The benefits of autonomous drone technology

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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.

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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.

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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.

Activate a real world proof of concept.

Asset owners can put our solution to the test with a tailored trial.

See first-hand how remote monitoring and analytics can optimise your operations.

Autonomous drones can be deployed for a wide range of applications, including:

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Construction Monitoring

Track progress, ensure quality control, and maintain oversight during the build phase.

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Security & Intrusion Alerts

Rapidly assess potential threats and improve site security.

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Fire Risk Monitoring

Identify early warning signs of potential fire hazards before they escalate.

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Storm Damage Inspections

Conduct fast, targeted inspections to assess damage and plan repairs.

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Replacing Site Walk Inspections

Increase efficiency by automating routine checks without requiring on-the-ground personnel.

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Investigating Performance Alerts

Respond to SCADA alerts with real-time aerial inspections for faster fault diagnosis.

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Preventative Maintenance

Detect early signs of wear, overheating, or damage to optimise maintenance and extend asset lifespan.

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Grid Infrastructure Inspections

Extend monitoring beyond the solar plant to check substations, transmission lines, and transformers.

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Vegetation Management

Monitor and assess vegetation growth around solar arrays to prevent shading losses and fire risks.

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Emerging state of the art

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.

Autonomous drones represent a game-changing advancement for the solar industry, offering the potential to revolutionise how solar plants are constructed, managed, and maintained.

Be part of the solar plant revolution.

See SolarGain in action, Our team is happy to help!