SkySpecs inspect 483 wind turbines in 30 days
It has been an exciting few months at SkySpecs with operations in multiple states and countries. In the last month, we have completed a record number of wind turbine inspections in a 30-day period totalling 483 turbines or 1,449 individual blades with an average of two operational systems at any given time. SkySpecs is collaborating with iSight RPV Services to fulfill inspection contracts in the U.S. iSight RPV Services provides remotely piloted vehicle operations to agricultural, critical infrastructure, wildlife management, insurance, and emergency services so they can unlock the value of collecting information with unmanned aircraft.
No other inspection method or manually flown drone operation has been able to achieve this level of speed and repeatability in wind turbine blade inspection. It is allowing our customers to identify problem areas faster, accurately quote the repair price, and optimise repair schedules earlier in the season.
Adam Overvold, iSight RPV Services operator, said, “Using the SkySpecs system in the field has completely changed the way I work. I press GO to launch the inspection and the whole thing is finished in under 15 minutes. The time between turbines using SkySpecs’ system is 23 minutes as opposed to manual inspections, which were 2 hours from turbine to turbine.”
iSight RPV has been able to deploy highly qualified field operators who are able to complete the inspections using a single-man team. The autonomous drone inspection system allows the field operator to complete the fastest, safest, and most precise job possible with little disruption. Turbine down-time is minimal, reducing the overall energy-loss impact that inspections typically bring. The speed of the inspection allows for an entire field to be inspected in a matter of days or weeks instead of months. The measurable, repeatable data improves the ability to predict problems in the field and deploy repair crews before the problems escalate. This leads to higher efficiency in the energy generation and lower overall operations and maintenance costs over the life of the turbine.
SkySpecs is on track to continue increasing the number of inspections completed per month.
Danny Ellis, CEO & Co-Founder, SkySpecs
CONTACT INFORMATION
iSight RPV Services: Contact Adam Lingwall at adam.lingwall@isightrpv.com
SkySpecs: Contact Danny Ellis at danny@skyspecs.com
