Page 44 - North American Clean Energy September October 2015

wind power

The Reality of

Drones in

Wind

by Dave Peachy

Drones are a hot topic in wind right now. hey’re an exciting new

technology which is quickly developing and determining how they

can add value to wind farm owners is being explored. Today, every
wind conference, email newsletter, and magazine has an article

regarding drones. Typically, the articles regarding wind turbine

inspection promise lower costs, higher quality reports, at faster

speeds, all from a safe distance on the ground.

While it’s exciting, wind turbine owners should be cautious of the hype. Drones do not yet
make other inspection methods obsolete. It is important to consider the objectives, before

determining which method of inspection will meet the objectives and provide the most value.
Drones have a lot of potential in the wind industry as technologies for controlled light, battery
life, sensors, and integration continue to improve. he key considerations remain the same as

in any form of inspection: safety, report quality, insight, cost, timing, and meeting inspection
requirements. Drones are not an immediate game changer for the industry, but there is little
doubt that drones are here to stay, and they have the potential to reduce costs, deliver more
data, and provide a safer form of inspection than sending technicians up the blade.

For now, the best inspection options remain ground and rope based inspections for wind
turbine blades. When the specialized inspection capabilities include drones, there is an added
beneit.

Do the homework
When considering the use of a drone, it’s important to recognize the various factors which
inluence the cost of the service provided, as well as the resulting data and images. hese
factors include governmental regulations, the level of the technology, piloting skills, weather

conditions, engineering reviews, and report quality.
he irst thing to ask a drone inspection company is whether or not they have received an
FAA Section 333 Exemption. his is a requirement for ALL commercially employed drones.
Today, these exemptions require a licensed pilot to ly the drone. Usually, the pilot skillfully

operates the drone, maneuvering it close to the blade, while dealing with wind gusts, and
often times from a diicult viewing perspective. Another individual is used to “perform the
inspection” and they are responsible for reviewing and assessing the images captured by the
drone and pilot.

Some of the technologies which inluence the cost of an inspection include: time required,
and quality of the inspection. hese may be afected by the drone’s battery life, on board
sensors and cameras, image/data storage, and light controls. Most drones available today
provide approximately 20 minutes of light time with normal camera payloads (a GoPro),

typically requiring multiple battery swaps / recharges. his can cause the time required to
inspect an entire turbine to be much greater than if performed from the ground. Inspection
types are usually visual, and drones require qualiied pilots which means there are limits on

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015
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