Industrial robots are being used in the manufacturing sector for many years now. Nowadays, robots combined with Artificial Intelligence are being used in several industries, such as manufacturing, automotive, healthcare, and more. When it comes to using drones and robots, the energy industry is not too far behind. Solar and wind farms offer plenty of opportunities for using drones and robots. There are numerous solutions already in use, and several are in various stages of development in the renewable energy sector.

Developments in drones and robots can increase the efficiency of energy plants, reduce overall cost, and also decrease the amount of time taken to perform various activities.

How are drones helping the energy industry?

Energy industry sectors such as oil, gas, wind, and solar are heavily dependent on inspections to maintain safety standards. However, a lot of time and investment goes into these inspections. By using drones to fly over utility sites, the energy sector can easily identify damages on solar panels or wind turbines, preventing further problems. Drones can collect information, allowing companies to quickly pinpoint damage or abnormalities. Drones can also be helpful in monitoring progress, creating 3D maps, elevation data, and more.

Traditionally, solar farms, remote oil fields, and gas facilities were inspected by helicopters, planes, and professional climbers. However, all this required a large amount of time. Plus, sending a professional to look at a turbine or windmill also involves a fair amount of safety risk. With drones, you can practically eliminate all these safety risks.

Drones have the ability to inspect even hard-to-reach places. By saving on expenses and insurance, energy companies can better manage their properties and gather more accurate information at just the push of a button.

Oil and gas industry

The oil and gas industry is already taking advantage of drone technology to detect damage, corrosion, or any other maintenance issues on their properties. A drone can be used to take footage of entire gas plant sites, create high-resolution maps, and produce up-to-date timelines, all within a matter of a few hours.

Solar energy

Regular and efficient maintenance can prolong the lifespan of solar panels. Most solar farms are spread over large areas of land, and inspection is time-consuming and expensive. With drones, inspection costs can be cut in half, allowing companies to stay on top of operation maintenance while reducing overall costs.

Wind Energy

The market for drones in the wind energy sector is driven by the need to inspect a large number of blades for damage and deterioration. Traditionally, inspecting each blade on wind turbines required industrial climbers who had to put themselves in extremely dangerous working conditions. However, drones can now be equipped with high-quality cameras to get high-quality images, allowing companies to pinpoint damage.