UAV thermal inspections for solar asset managers
The Sherlock system has been developed to undertake thermal imaging surveys of solar farms. Thermal imaging is the primary tool for detecting faults with solar equipment. Surveys are usually undertaken by operators on foot and a survey of a large solar farm may take many days. Sherlock is a fully automated system that can collect and analyse data and produce a full fault inspection report for a large solar farm in a matter of hours.
Sherlock Thermal Surveys
Sherlock captures thermal images of solar equipment, analyses the data and detects faults in real time. The onboard computer controls data capture to ensure thermal images are only captured when solar irradiance levels are optimal, eliminating human error and ensuring consistent fault finding and reporting.

Faster surveys and data processing reduce costs

Minimises site visits and improves on-site health & safety

Standardised, consistent and automated survey procedures ensure consistent accurate results.

Identification of exact location and serial numbers of faulty modules promotes efficient maintenance resource allocation.

Data collected, fully analysed and returned to customer in an easy to access format including full fault report and mapping.

Stable octocopter with onboard computer, visual and thermal cameras and irradiance meter.
Fault Finding
Common faults with modules that Sherlock detects include:
- Clusters of thermal anomalies
- Hotspots
- Bipass diode failures
- Disconnected modules
Cleandrone GCS
Cleandrone’s proprietary Ground Control System allows fast and easy flight planning and automated fault finding and report generation.
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