Energy & Renewables
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WE’VE HELPED THE UK'S LEADING ENERGY ORGANISATIONS ADOPT DRONES
YOUR INDUSTRY EXPERT
Meet George Burne
UAV Strategist – Drone Inspection in the Energy Sector
George has helped organisations like Severn Trent Water, Magnox and TEXO improve business efficiency by providing a 360° drone solution. George’s expertise lies in reducing risk, improving the data collected and cutting operational costs by using a drone solution where possible alongside traditional inspection methods.
Drone adopters across the energy sector report project times are now counted in days rather than weeks, the quality of inspection is higher, and asset down-time is much less now they can deploy drones quickly.
Premier DJI & Flyability partner
APPLICATIONS
SOLAR PANEL INSPECTION
With an average of 4-5 acres needed to produce 1MW of power (enough to power around 650 homes), there’s going to be a definite need for solar farms to be built on a large scale.
APPLICATIONS
- Surveying and planning the build of a Solar Panel Farm
- Site progress of the Solar Panel Farm
- Automate Drone Flights for regular Solar Panel inspections
- Detailed reports on the condition of the Solar Farm Panels
- Regular solar panel drone inspections using thermal imaging cameras
- Identifying cell damage and hot spots of panels not performing
- Prevent Solar Farm assets from being damaged
ONSHORE & OFFSHORE WIND FARM INSPECTION
There are 8,600 onshore wind turbines and 35 offshore wind farms in the UK currently, and with the government planning to quadruple wind power by 2030, there will be many more to come.
APPLICATIONS
- Fast and detailed inspections of giant wind turbines
- Drone inspections of smaller domestic wind turbines
- Increased efficiency, inspect 6 times faster than by manual inspection
- Reduced risk to workers inspecting the turbine
- Detailed data recordings and reports for stakeholders
- Plan regular inspections autonomously
DRONES INSPECTIONS FOR WAVE POWER
The lesser-known cousin of solar and wind power generation, harnessing wave power is another important aspect in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
APPLICATIONS
- Fast and detailed inspections open water inspections
- Only one operator and drone required for an inspection
- Increased efficiency and reduced risk to workers inspecting the turbine
- Detailed data recordings and reports for stakeholders
- Plan regular inspections autonomously
INTRODUCING THE ELIOS 2 RAD
Indoor remote radiation sensing and mapping
Flyability have recently announced the launch of the Elios 2 RAD – which already builds on a successful fleet of Elios drones. When operating a nuclear station, understanding where and to what extent radiation is present is a daily preoccupation. Elios 2 RAD offers indoor remote radiation sensing that allows you to safely measure and map nuclear radiation anywhere inside your nuclear station from a non-contaminated zone.
Sellafield
"For us as a site, there is so much going on every day. To put scaffolding around a building, there is so many restrictions in access, the downtime on a plant when we have schedules to stick to, by using scaffolding it takes a lot of time. When we can get a drone in and out in 30 minutes, it reduces our downtime massively. It saves people going up at heights, which links to our strategic site objectives – safer, faster and cost effectiveness!”
EDF Energy
“Using the drone has also given us an extent of condition report and simplified the process of the inspection. Inspections at height or in confined spaces now only require a quick inspection of the drone before deploying so it’s much quicker than traditional methods.”
Networx3
"With drones we can either prevent people working in these dangerous environments, or we can use the drone as a back-up and a support mechanism for the team that’s on the ground. Instead of relying on a rigging crew and thousands of pounds a day to access a tower why not send a drone up safely and review the condition without putting anyone at risk."
YOUR FREE GUIDE
Your complete step-by-step guide to adopting drones in the Energy Sector
BENEFITS OF DRONES
More cost effective than manual inspections, only one drone operator required
Increased efficiency, conduct inspections in a fraction of the time
Produce detailed reports and data on your assets for stakeholders
ADVICE CENTRE
DRONE TRAINING BROCHURE
Check out our Coptrz Academy Training brochure to find out what training courses suit your business needs.
DRONES IN ENERGY SUMMIT
Join Coptrz UAV Strategist George Burne as he is joined by speakers from Sellafield, Networx3, Northumbria Water and Severn Trent in this energy summit at COPTRZ CON 2021.
DRONE LAWS & REGULATIONS 2021
Confused about the new drone regulations? Here is your complete guide by our Head of Drone Training Harry Crawford.
FAQs
With the growth of wind power, drones are increasingly being used to scan wind turbines for defects and damage. With turbine repair being incredibly expensive, as much as £30,000 per turbine per year, coupled with the loss of revenue from days of inactivity due to damage, early inspection and analysis are essential.
Wind turbines will be one area where there is rapid adoption. Companies can deploy drones to get close-up, 3-D images of wind blades to find out if there are any imperfections without having to stop the turbines from turning. Today, that work is done by hooking people up to wires and hanging them off of wind turbines.
When using external drone pilots or subcontractors you’re not in charge of the quality of your data. You can be more responsive when you are collecting the data yourself. Long term it’s also much more cost-effective to bring your aerial drone solution in-house.
The short answer is no. Using drones allows for efficient inspections at speed where you can acquire high-quality data from high-risk environments. Once the initial inspection has been conducted such as locating a fault on a wind turbine, there will always be the need to send a rope access worker to make the mechanical fix. Think of drones as part of your toolbox which you have the power to deploy when the need suits, when you want a speedy inspection without risk and high-costs.
We can provide a complete drone inspection solution including all the training, hardware, software and ongoing support you’ll need from £2,000. Speak to George to find out more.
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Unlock your business potential with drone technology
With Coptrz, explore the limitless possibilities that drone technology brings to your business. From aerial inspections to mapping and surveillance, our comprehensive solutions are designed to drive efficiency, enhance safety, and deliver significant cost savings. Join the drone revolution with Coptrz and elevate your business to new heights.