Drone Inspection
Drone thermal inspection. See what your eyes can't.
A thermal camera mounted on a drone finds hot spots, bypassed diodes, and cell-level defects in 20 minutes, work that takes a hand-held inspector half a day. We deliver a full thermal map, a marked photo of every problem panel, and a written report with module IDs ready for warranty claims.
What's included in this service?
- FAA Part 107 certified drone operators who carry full liability insurance
- Calibrated thermal camera (Flir or DJI Zenmuse)
- High-resolution visible camera flown in parallel for visual reference
- Thermal anomaly classification (hot spot, hot module, hot string, hot bypass)
- Module-level GPS pinpointing for warranty claim documentation
- PDF report with marked photos and prioritized recommendations
When do you need this service?
- Production has dropped without obvious cause
- Module-level monitoring not installed
- Annual O&M inspection on a commercial site
- Insurance claim after hail or storm event
- Pre-purchase due diligence on a used array
- PPA performance dispute with original installer
What do homeowners ask about Drone Inspection?
Can you fly during the day?
Yes, thermal anomalies actually show better in midday sun under load. We schedule between 11am and 2pm with at least 600 W/m² irradiance for accurate results.
What does a hot spot mean for my panel?
A hot spot usually means a cracked or shaded cell that's drawing power from the rest of the panel. Mild hot spots reduce output a few percent. Severe ones can permanently damage the panel and create fire risk. Most are warranty-replaceable if caught early.
Is the drone allowed to fly over my house?
Yes. We file FAA airspace authorization where required (most San Diego County is uncontrolled), notify neighbors before launch, and stay within line of sight per Part 107.
Service area
Where do we offer Drone Inspection in San Diego County?
We provide drone inspection in every city and community in San Diego County. Pick your city for local climate notes and service specifics.
Central Drone Inspection in San Diego San Diego solar cleaning cadence varies sharply by neighborhood. Coastal blocks in Point Loma, Ocean Beach, and Sunset Cliffs need quarterly cleaning for salt and bird buildup. Inland Sorrento Valley and Carmel Valley arrays run semi-annual on traffic film and pollen. Downtown high-rise commercial arrays need quarterly to handle traffic hydrocarbon film off the I-5 and SR-163 corridors.
North Coastal Drone Inspection in Oceanside Oceanside solar cleaning splits between coastal salt-driven quarterly work on the South O, Fire Mountain, and downtown harbor blocks, and inland semi-annual cadence on the Rancho Del Oro, Morro Hills, and Ocean Hills master-planned tracts. Military rental property cycling through Camp Pendleton drives a separate landlord-coordinated workflow.
North Coastal Drone Inspection in Carlsbad Carlsbad has one of the densest residential solar adoption rates in San Diego County. La Costa, Aviara, Bressi Ranch, and Calavera Hills master-planned communities went solar heavily during the 2017-2021 wave. Quarterly cleaning on Carlsbad Village beach blocks; semi-annual on the inland HOA communities.
North County Inland Drone Inspection in Escondido Escondido is one of the hottest residential areas in San Diego County. 100-110°F summers, agricultural particulate drift from surrounding avocado groves and citrus orchards, and SDG&E PSPS shutoff exposure drive quarterly cleaning as the working baseline. High residential solar adoption density across Hidden Meadows-adjacent and South Escondido tracts.
East County Drone Inspection in El Cajon El Cajon is one of the hottest residential zones in San Diego County. 100-115°F summers, hard-water sprinkler overspray on aging tract stock, I-8 corridor traffic film, and post-fire ash from East County wildfire events drive quarterly cleaning as the working baseline. Arrays here lose production fast without consistent cadence.
South County Drone Inspection in Chula Vista Chula Vista has extremely high new-construction solar adoption density in the Otay Ranch, EastLake, and Rancho del Rey master-planned communities. Layered film from coastal salt to the west and Otay Mesa industrial dust to the east drives quarterly cleaning as the working baseline. Largest residential solar inventory in South County.
Coastal Drone Inspection in La Jolla La Jolla cliff-side and ocean-view homes pick up the heaviest salt film and bird droppings of any coastal zone we cover. Quarterly cleaning is the working baseline here, semi-annual on the inland edges, every three months within a half-mile of the cove.
Central Drone Inspection in Scripps Ranch Scripps Ranch has one of the densest residential solar adoption rates in San Diego County, the affluent master-planned community had a major rooftop solar wave from 2014-2020, and most of those arrays are now in the cleaning-cadence-matters window where neglected systems are showing 15-25% production loss.
See drone inspection in all 67 cities
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Serving San Diego County
Need drone inspection in San Diego County?
Call for a free quote. Most work scheduled within the week.