inspections
Make sure your UAV pilot is qualified UAV inspections for renewables - how to embrace this new technology
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tilising unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for remote inspections was a futuristic vision for the surveying world; but with the recent explosion in commercially available UAVs or drones, it is quite clear that this future is already here. The questions now are whether such a method is better than current techniques and secondly how you can be sure you choose a safe and experienced operator.
So, how can UAVs improve on current manual inspection techniques? In short the answer is a mixture of improved safety, better performance and cost saving. UAVs can safely survey assets more quickly and cheaply than manual inspections as well as providing better quality data. When surveying assets such as wind turbines or solar panels with a UAV, there is no need for scaffolding or climbers
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to reach difficult to access areas. UAV mounted imaging equipment can directly access hard to reach locations resulting in an improvement not only to safety but also to the speed of information gathering. So obtaining survey data is far safer and the enhanced quality of such information means that repair or maintenance issues can be directly pinpointed, saving time/money in allocating resources. But…the UAV is only as safe as the pilot who operates it. With the latest range of commercial UAV’s hitting the market, there has been an undoubted increase in the number of people offering to operate them commercially. You want to ensure that embracing this new technology doesn’t lead to embarrassing situations explaining to a client why their asset has been damaged.
How can you ensure the UAV company you are using will operate safely? Certainly most UAV operators will be conducting their work legally which means they will have attended a 3 day ground school, sat theory and practical examinations and sent away to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in order to obtain their permissions for aerial work (PFAW). So if you are thinking of engaging a UAV survey team remember: if they do not have a certificate showing their PFAW they are not legally allowed to operate. You are advised to take care as there are still likely to be hobby enthusiasts who won’t be fully aware of the regulations and won’t have completed the training or obtained licences. PFAW were introduced to ensure operators could fly their platforms safely, as well as to set a standard for insurance companies to use to assess risk and ultimately provide cover. An up-to-date list of registered operators with the relevant permissions can be obtained from the CAA. Consider also that as well as the legal
aspects of these permissions, they will also be an indication of the level of the abilities of the pilot. All qualified pilots are required to conduct a practical examination which tests their abilities to control the platform safely and effectively. The more experience a pilot has, the better they will be. Experience is a key aspect of safety and so it follows that UAV operators with more experience are much less likely to have accidents. Remote Aerial Surveys are one operator who is rightly proud of their 100% safety record when conducting aerial work. On top of the mandatory training required by the CAA, all of their pilots have completed a comprehensive internal training schedule which ensures they are all of an excellent standard before they are allowed to operate on the company’s behalf.
Is your UAV operator properly equipped for survey work? The reason why renewable energy assets are maintained and inspected so regularly is because there is a high cost if they become damaged or faulty. Cost effective methods of inspection are therefore going to be appealing but like many things you need to ensure the price does not compromise on quality. It follows that in order to survey a renewable energy system, an operator must have the correct equipment to do the job. Not all UAVs and by definition, not all UAV operators are the same. Small UAVs come in all shapes and configurations, ranging from a matter of a few hundred grams in mass, right the way up to 20kg in some cases. There are many factors which can enhance the safety of a UAV platform. The important questions to ask are: 1. Shrouded props – are the propellers on the UAV covered to negate the risk of damage when doing close inspections?