Sunrise brief: FERC transmission rule to shore up the nation’s power grid
Also on the rise: Two approaches to save net metering in Puerto Rico. Solar powered electric truck stop opens in California. And more.
Powering drones with ultra-thin, flexible perovskite PV cells
An Austrian research team has demonstrated that lightweight, flexible and ultra-thin perovskite solar technology can power palm-sized autonomous drones.
How artificial intelligence can be used to identify solar panel defects
To speed up the inspection process and improve accuracy, solar farm operators are turning to AI-powered inspection, using algorithms that can automatically detect solar panel defects from images.
Drones, robots, and AI are changing the face of solar and wind farm inspections, literally
Robots and drones with deep learning computer vision and advanced imaging cameras are changing the landscape of inspections for renewable energy sites and associated equipment.
Sunrun withdraws 2020 residential solar guidance, goes low-contact, braces for the storm
Sunrun laid off about 100 employees last week, according to Business Insider, which reported that furloughed staff will continue to receive benefits for three months.
Hardware brief: 48 hour PE stamps, 23% flexible cells, monoPERC pricing down, 73% less aluminum, more!
Don’t forget to send your hardware press releases, spec page updates, and reminders of existence to usa-editors@pv-magazine.com! Viridian Solar has given Unirac a license to sell a roof integrated (pretty) solar racking system, Loveland Innovations will deliver stamped drawings if you use their drone system in 48 hours, Ecolibirum’s new racking hardware goes railless and uses 73% less aluminum, more!
The view from above: Heliolytics on the evolution of solar site inspection
In this interview Heliolytics CEO Rob Andrews talks about the factors behind the emergence of piloted aerial inspection as the dominant form of site inspection, and also the unique challenges posed by wind damage.
Enel and Raptor Maps to develop AI drone software for operations and maintenance applications
Enel Green Power North America and Raptor Maps will develop AI-based drones to reduce O&M costs. Kicking off this month, the project will see its first batch of 30 field workers trained by the end of the year. Both companies already have the relevant technology in their portfolios.
AI-infused drone O&M for solar farms – 50 minutes per MW
Aerospec Technologies offers portfolio level drone O&M data analysis services backed by machine learning to tell you exactly what’s happening with every single solar panel, in near real time.
