Of Infrared Expertise
Plus Alaska & Puerto Rico
Not Drones
For Facility Decision-Makers
Aerial solar field infrared inspection is a non-destructive method that uses aircraft-mounted thermal imaging to identify temperature anomalies across utility-scale photovoltaic arrays. These anomalies can be associated with issues such as module hot spots, failed bypass diodes, string-level problems, junction-box faults, and combiner-box anomalies.
AITscan maps and georeferences these findings to the site or array layout so O&M, asset-management, and engineering teams can focus follow-up investigation on the modules, strings, or equipment that warrant attention. The resulting dataset can support maintenance dispatch, performance review, warranty documentation, and portfolio-level asset planning.
Aircraft-based collection is especially useful for utility-scale sites and multi-site portfolios because it allows broad areas to be inspected within coordinated irradiance and atmospheric conditions, creating a more consistent thermal dataset across the surveyed asset. For geographically distributed solar assets, AITscan can also support broader portfolio assessment through AreaScanIR.
Drone and ground-based thermography can work well for smaller solar sites or targeted inspections. For utility-scale solar fields and multi-site portfolios, aircraft-based infrared surveys can provide broader coverage while collecting the array within a coordinated irradiance and atmospheric window.
AITscan can survey an entire utility-scale site—or multiple nearby sites—during a planned flight period, helping create a more consistent thermal dataset across modules, strings, and related equipment. That consistency matters when asset managers need to compare anomalies across thousands of modules or evaluate performance across an entire portfolio.
Aircraft-mounted infrared sensors also allow AITscan to collect thermal data efficiently across extensive PV assets without relying on repeated short-range sorties. Survey timing, irradiance, atmospheric conditions, acquisition altitude, and experienced thermographic interpretation all contribute to the quality of the resulting data.
For O&M and asset-management teams, the advantage is not simply faster collection. A consistent, georeferenced thermal dataset can make it easier to prioritize field verification, compare defects across the array, support warranty documentation, and make better-informed maintenance decisions.
Utility-scale solar assets are revenue-producing infrastructure, and undetected thermal defects can translate directly into lost generation. String-level faults, failed bypass diodes, combiner-box issues, hot spots, and other anomalies can reduce output before the problem becomes obvious in higher-level performance data.
Aerial infrared surveys give asset managers and O&M teams a site-wide defect inventory that helps prioritize the issues with the greatest potential operational impact. Instead of relying only on inverter telemetry or waiting for monthly performance reports to reveal a broader problem, teams can use georeferenced thermal findings to direct field verification and maintenance more efficiently.
The financial impact can extend beyond recovered generation. Warranty periods often create important decision points for module and equipment owners, and documented thermal findings can help support end-of-warranty inspections, manufacturer discussions, and asset records. A survey performed before a warranty deadline may help identify defects while corrective options are still available.
For multi-site portfolios, consistent thermal data can also improve long-term asset management. Comparing defect patterns across sites can help operators prioritize maintenance budgets, identify recurring equipment issues, and create stronger documentation for refinancing, resale, audits, or future capital planning.
In some portfolios, recovering generation from a relatively small number of significant defects can offset a meaningful portion of the survey cost, while the value of properly documented warranty issues can increase the financial return further.
