TaskMapper helps EPC digitize and manage construction processes for its solar asset to achieve transparency and optimize project execution.
At a Glance
A leading EPC approaches SenseHawk to conduct a thermal study of the completed phase of its under-construction utility-scale solar project and identify defects in the installed solar modules.
With SenseHawk Therm and SenseHawk Drone Analytics, the EPC is able to swiftly identify, classify, and prioritize defects for effective remediation.
SenseHawk helps to significantly reduce the time taken to identify thermal defects per inverter, and integrated task management with the platform helps speed up remediation and enhance the expected energy yield.
The Need
A leading EPC is constructing a large integrated solar and energy storage project in multiple phases. It wants to identify, classify, and fix defects in the installed solar modules at the end of each phase of construction. Spread across 6,000 acres, the completed project will have nearly 2.5 million photovoltaic (PV) modules.
The EPC is among the top five in the region and is chosen by the project owner for their cutting-edge approach to quality and delivery. The EPC wants to address defects in a timely manner to stay on track with the construction schedule and ensure optimal power generation capacity at commissioning. Defects due to module manufacturing issues can be flagged for the asset owner to investigate for warranty claims.
The EPC wants the thermal study of each completed phase of project construction to be done quickly, accurately, and in lockstep with the construction schedule. Handheld thermography methods require time and a large crew to locate and investigate defects. Even when the final reports are provided, field engineers often struggle to locate the table or string numbers on vast sites. Poor connectivity also challenges the proper recording of onsite investigation results.
Access interactive thermographic map view of the site with mapped and color-coded defects; drill down to view more details
SenseHawk’s Proposal
SenseHawk proposes using Therm to address the EPC’s requirement. The drone scan-based defect detection and remediation feature of the SenseHawk Digitization Platform (SDP) uses AI and ML to analyze scanned imagery. Therm helps identify defects, classify them based on probable cause and issue severity, and create a map of the defects that is layered on the digital model of the site on the platform.
Each identified defect can be easily converted into a task for the EPC’s onsite teams to investigate, remediate, and create status updates. Field teams can use the map-based mobile application to view assigned tickets, navigate to the problem, access checklists and related documents, including warranty information, flash test data, and work history, fill out reports, attach supporting photographs, and record component replacements to help track serial numbers.
The EPC team can remediate the mechanical and electrical issues, such as string heat, string short circuits, tracker malfunctions, and cracked modules. Defects caused by faults in the module can be reassigned on the platform to the owner’s team for field investigation and possible warranty claims.
Comprehensive defects list for the site with AI/ML-based analytics of drone scan imagery
The Impact
SenseHawk provides a fast and efficient way for the EPC to address defects. Defects are identified from sensor-driven reports that contain all relevant defect details, including defect type, string number, and temperature delta. Mitigating tasks are easily created and assigned to field teams with workflows to resolve and close them efficiently.
Managers can attach checklists and forms to manage the processes. Using the interactive map views on the fieldworker-friendly mobile app, onsite crews can locate, navigate to, investigate, remediate, and create status updates for each defect.
As a result, the EPC can detect mechanical or electrical defects such as string heat, string short circuits, tracker malfunctions, or cracked modules and address them immediately. It is also able to reassign defects caused by manufacturing issues to the asset owner’s team for investigation and possible warranty claims from the module manufacturer.
Defect reports downloadable as PDF or CSV files containing detailed information about site defects, including location, type, priority, and more
Based on the study of the first completed phase of the project, a large number of "cell failure" hotspots are flagged by the SenseHawk team. Cell failure indicates a catastrophic failure of the module, making it eligible for warranty replacement. However, field investigations reveal that over 60% of these defects are, in fact, benign "light visible through scribes" that do not affect module performance. The EPC now has significantly fewer defects to address.
With SenseHawk’s solutions, the EPC significantly reduces the effort and time required to identify and remediate defects. Addressing the defects results in an increase of over 4% in the forecast yield.
Integrated task management with fieldworker app to support faster remediation after defect detection
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Related Tags
SenseHawk Therm, SenseHawk Drone Analytics, Solar, Construction, Thermography, EPC, Defect Remediation, Drones, Analytics, Digital Twins, Digitization, Quality Control
