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In a recent interview with pv magazine, Supreeth Srinivasa Rao – associate director of the industrial practice at Frost & Sullivan – explained how drones can minimize the need to send employees to project sites, as they can be deployed for monitoring, operations, and maintenance purposes.

From pv magazine India

pv magazine: Are drones being used in Indian solar installations?

There are no clear indicators of the kind of solar projects that are actively using drones currently for operations & maintenance (O&M), which is the most significant solar segment use case. The lack of a clear policy directive restricts companies from making full-scale use of drones in solar fields for fear of antagonizing the local population (especially in the rural areas) and police.

pv magazine: Do you see the market improving? What are the most significant use cases?

With the amendment to the Civil Aviation Requirement 2.0, this trend is likely to change in the coming years. Companies operating in solar O&M will be early adopters, with potential use cases ranging from thermographic inspection to site surveys for clearing vegetation, as well as remote monitoring and inspection of solar fields.

For the full interview, please visit our pv magazine India site.