A cold and frosty morning in Doncaster at Blyton Park Driving Centre – out with the drones and the BBC One Show team filming an article about potholes!
The One Show’s presenter Iwan Thomas presents the piece and overseas the competition judged by some eminent people in their field, Victoria Hazael (Cycling UK), Vince Crain (The AA), Keith Jones (Institution of Civil Engineers). The filming took place on Blyton Race Track in Lincolnshire, where three large potholes were repaired and reviewed. They will be testing out pothole repair technologies on the racing circuit itself and we will be providing supporting cinematography from an aerial perspective!
Watch the One Show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPqk2OEMYpU
How do Solar Panels Work?
How Do Solar Panels Operate? How Does the Sun Affect a Photovoltaic Solar Panel? The sun continually discharges little parcels of energy called photons, which arrive with us here on earth approximately 8.5 minutes after they have left their source. Those little photons however can take 100,000 years to get from the sun’s core to the surface where they can start their journey to us – so we’re bathing in some very old light when we hit the beach on a hot summer’s day! Solar panels are designed to capture the power of this light and convert it into energy that we can use – natural, clean and green. How Does a Solar Photovoltaic Panel Work? Solar panels are made up of individual cells often constructed of silicon. These cells, call Photo Voltaic (PV) cells become energised when they are in contact with photons and this energy is converted into a usable electrical current. PV cells are wired together in collections on a board and then boards can be wired together into arrays to create even more power. Obviously for solar panels to function at their optimum, a clear bright day is best but especially in the UK, there is mix of weather conditions which means that they are not in full sun at all times. As discussed, the PV cells that make up a solar panel are designed to capture light and not heat. As the temperature rises, the circuits actually become less effective and so less power is created. While the summer months offer more hours of light, it’s a bit of a myth that you can’t generate electricity from solar panels outside of March – October – there’s less light for sure but your solar panels still work. Also, counterintuitively, less heat can actually mean that panels function more efficiently. Why Should Solar Panels be Professionally Maintained? Over the years, panels can suffer faults that remain invisible to the naked eye but which impact their efficiency in terms of generating power. In serious situations these faults can even lead to a fire hazard. So it’s really important to keep up with the maintenance on your panels to keep your installation safe and also to make sure you are making the most of your investment. Obviously, the problem with regular and specialist inspection of your panels is that they are most likely to be in inaccessible areas of your home such as your roof. Having an actual human being up there to manually test each panel can be costly due to the health and safety precautions they have to take and potentially equipment they have to hire in order to gain access, plus you run the risk of damage to your roof structure during the inspection process. However, there is a simple and non-invasive solution that reduces inspection costs and means that if you do have faults that need to be rectified, that personnel are deployed with all the information they need to carry out repairs in a targeted fashion. Why Use Thermography and Infrared Drone Cameras to Inspect Solar Panels? Faults on a solar panel can be detected by a drone carrying a thermal imaging infrared camera – these faults will show up clearly in an image taken under the right conditions if they are there. A thermal equipped drone will fly over a solar installation while it is in operation (the panel needs to be under full load at the time of the survey) so there is no down time. A drone can cover large areas in a short time and take both thermograms (heat based images) and standard images at the same time so any faults can be immediately pinpointed within the installation. Where Can You Hire a Drone Thermal Imaging Survey? To find out more about how drone thermography can be used to assess the effectiveness of your solar panel installation of any size – from a simple roof top installation through to large scale solar farms – please just get in touch with Drone Media Imaging and we are happy to talk through your requirements. Is There a Drone Solar Panel Inspection Service Near Me? Yes, absolutely, Drone Media Imaging travel to all parts of the UK from our base in the south-east near Gatwick, West Sussex. We are happy to provide you with a full, accurate quote without obligation, all we need is the location information where the Solar
Aerial Thermography Expertise and Experience
Trained and Certified in Aerial Thermography Drone Media Imaging use trained and certified thermographers to deliver thermographic services and inspections across many domestic, industrial and commercial sectors throughout the UK. Whether it is solar photovoltaic panel inspection in accordance with IEC 62446-3:2017 and BS EN ISO 62446-1:2016 or fire detection and management in disasters zones or underground landfill fires, Drone Media Imaging can deploy across the UK quickly, efficiently and with the right experience. Aerial Thermography Category 2 Thermography certification to category level 2 focuses on radiometric temperature measurement analysis and the benefits of obtaining precise temperature data from challenging environments for diagnosing and reporting purposes. Whether for qualitative evaluation or quantitative evaluation our report and diagnosis analysis provide you with answers following a non-destructive inspection format from the air via UAV drones equipped with the latest technology. Drone Media Imaging is a small but unique drone operations company specialising in airborne thermal imaging across the UK. Our certification and experience when paired with our CAA enhanced OSC permissions, means we are more than capable of performing any aerial thermal imaging job however challenging. As level 2 thermographers we dive into the fundamental principles of surface emissivity, reflected temperature correction, spatial and measurement resolutions, and as a result providing clients with accurate data reporting that can be trusted. Aerial Thermal Imaging Infrared Cameras Thermal Imaging cameras capture the reflected radiation from a surface or heat source and convert the recorded temperatures to an image map for analysis. This unique worldview provides numerous advantageous and cost-effective non-destructive options for commercial and residential needs. Aerial thermal cameras of the highest quality provide non-contact temperature measurements in difficult to reach locations that cannot be observe from the ground. As is the case with all drone inspections, the hazards connected with operating at a height are minimised as is the potential of inflicting damage to the structure during the inspection procedure. Case Study – Explosion at a Grain Store Port of Tilbury London Following an explosion at the Port of Tilbury London grain store in July 2020, Drone Media Imaging were hired to provide aerial thermal data support to emergency service gold commanders and the senior management for the grain store. Flying thermographic data collection missions, hourly, daily, and weekly for over 13 months from the initial explosion and subsequent silo fires, we provided important thermal data reports as the fire developed, enabling the fire management strategy to be accurately measured over time. Comprehensive reports, thermal imaging, RGB photography, and video pictures were used to provide the information essential to effectively manage the problem until the building was destroyed in 2020.
Domestic House Portraiture
House portraits make great gift ideas! It can be hard to think of the perfect gift for people sometimes, especially when you’re looking for something really special and unique to them. A house portrait can fit the bill exactly. These photos come from a client who wanted the perfect way to express her thanks to her parents for hosting her wedding at their property and I can’t think of a better way to put it than by commissioning such a special portrait of their home. Using a drone captures a property from a unique angle and is the perfect way to showcase all the beautiful home and garden features. In ‘olden days’ these portraits used to be captured via an aircraft flying at a much greater height and on a fixed flight path but a UAV or Drone can fly lower and capture much more detail as well as choose the perfect angle to show off the property at it’s very best. Not to mention that it can do all this at a fraction of the cost. Commissioning an aerial home portrait is simple to do – just get in touch with us to talk over your requirements, and provide us with the property details. We can then schedule a time to come and visit and capture your images – in this case, we did it when her parents were away so it could be a surprise.
