A solar developer uses drone analytics at its newly constructed project to urgently address PV table alignment issues that threaten to derail the commissioning schedule.
At a Glance
A solar power developer needs to identify alignment issues quickly and accurately across the table structures installed on the photovoltaic (PV) portions of its 950 MW project. Any misalignment in the PV tables can damage the expensive automatic cleaning system installed on them. Using traditional manual inspection methods will take months to complete, disturbing the commissioning schedule.
SenseHawk runs drone scans and analytics to locate and flag the alignment deviations in the table structure on its TaskMapper platform.
The site developer receives a comprehensive report of misalignment issues within 10 days, allowing them to address the alignment issues well ahead of the scheduled commissioning and commercial operation dates.
The Problem
A leading solar owner, developer, investor, and operator has an issue at one of its project sites. Alignment mismatches in the installed solar module structures at the utility-scale site are exposing the expensive robotic panel-cleaning system implemented over these tables to damage.
The single-site concentrated solar power (CSP) project, spread across 8 square kilometers and featuring over 3.2 million solar panels, has nearly 250 MW built using PV technology. The project is in an arid region where soiling and shading can significantly impact PV cell yield. To prevent this, the owner has set up an automated cleaning process. The waterless solar-panel cleaning system comprises 1,400 robots that travel nearly 1,600 kilometers a day across the tables.
However, the precision cleaning robots have a low tolerance range for height or width variations in the PV module structures they traverse. Irregular alignment of adjoining tables causes the robots to veer off-course or derail, damaging their motors. The owner needs to ensure that the tables are correctly aligned in time for the scheduled commissioning and commercial operation dates. Automation is key, as manual inspection and assessment of the alignment will take months.
Instance of misalignment in elevation between adjacent PV tables
The Solution
SenseHawk proposes using the drone-based terrain analysis and site planning features of TaskMapper to leverage drone-scan analytics and get an actionable report with all the alignment issues in the PV table structure. The elevation variation range desired by the client is narrow, at 8–12 mm.
A digital twin of the power plant is created on TaskMapper. Using AI/ML-based analytics on drone scan imagery of the physical site, TaskMapper flags deviations in height, elevation, and direction with respect to the adjacent table. A downloadable and shareable digital report of the deviations is generated for the asset operator.
The digital twin of the site on the map-based platform makes identifying and mapping inspection results easier
The Result
The power developer-operator, working on one of the largest CSP energy plants in the world, wants the latest and most effective technology to fix every unexpected glitch in its well-laid plans. Recognizing that alignment shifts beyond a narrow 8–12 mm range will cause motor damage or topple the cleaning robots installed on the PV tables at the project, the developer wants to find an efficient solution.
SenseHawk provides the asset operator with highly accurate, actionable information on the alignment defects across the 250 MW site within 10 days. This allows the operator to address the alignment issues, protect its expensive robotic cleaning system, and leave the planned asset commissioning schedule undisturbed.
PV tables identified and mapped on a site model with alignment issues highlighted
Using manual inspection methods would have taken months to complete, delaying the powerplant's commissioning and commercial operation dates. Uncovering the defects at a later stage, after the start of operations, would have made them difficult to rectify and created a persistent problem throughout the operational life of the asset.
Instead, SenseHawk provides the owner with highly accurate, actionable information rapidly, allowing the defects to be fixed in time to leave the commissioning and commercial operation dates unchanged.
Defects report in Excel detailing variations; map view of the defects on the SenseHawk mobile app
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Related Tags
Solar PV, Drone Analytics, Solar, Construction, Drones, Digital Twins, Digitization, Quality Control, Aerial Scans, Terrain Analysis,
