Ground based surveys have been the bread and butter of thermal surveying of solar farms. The the benefits they afford are –
- They can get close to the panel to identify even the smallest thermal anomoly
- They can help the thermographer decipher what the amomaly is and whether it is a ligitimate problem
- The thermographer can physically mark the panel for later identification
The ATV ( All Terrain Vehicle) that is used is specifically designed for surveying the panels to ensure the angle of the camera is correct for most arrays. With one driver and one cameraman, the team can cover many Mw of panels in a day.
ATV with thermographer