Taking solar to new heights
Sometimes the biggest changes start with a bird’s-eye view. Drones are giving us new ways to maintain solar panels, ensuring safer colleagues, smarter insights and a greener, cleaner future
Maintaining solar panels has always been an essential part of ensuring they provide a reliable source of sustainable energy. But it’s also been one of the most challenging – often requiring scaffolding, lengthy inspections and engineers working at height.
With thousands of solar arrays across the UK — from individual homes and local authority housing to major commercial sites — the challenge was clear: how do we keep maintenance efficient, precise and safe, while continuing to deliver greener energy for our customers?
The answer is taking flight.
Using drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, our engineers can spot faults, damage or even birds’ nests from the ground, before ever setting foot on a roof. In just two early surveys, our drones identified a broken panel, a faulty panel and rusting clips – issues resolved quickly without the risks of rooftop access. The technology also helps us detect bird nesting or dirt build-up, ensuring panels perform at their best for longer.
This isn’t just a smarter, safer approach, it’s a clear example of how investing in innovative technology can transform the way we deliver energy solutions at scale.
Having already installed thousands of photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays across the UK, we now manage:
- More than 4,500 local authority homes fitted with solar arrays
- A year-long contract with West Sussex Council, covering 90 commercial properties including schools, libraries and fire stations – generating around 5,400kWh of electricity
- Approximately 2,500 panels on 220 domestic arrays across the UK
With this breadth of responsibility, the potential of drones is huge. Scaling their use across our portfolio doesn’t just make existing operations faster and more effective, it also gives us the tools and time to grow, helping to bring even more green energy to thousands of customers across the UK.
Importantly, we’re not outsourcing the technology – we’re investing in our people. engineers trained and licensed to operate them. It’s an example of how we’re preparing colleagues with future-ready skills, embedding the digital future energy world into our everyday work and ensuring technology serves both our people and our customers.
Lindsay Agnew, Operations Co-ordinator in the PV team, said:
“Drone technology is helping us transform the way we manage solar PV. By investing in new tools and upskilling our engineers to become licensed drone operators, we’re improving safety, reducing costs and raising the standard of service for our customers. This innovation is not just about solving today’s challenges, it’s about building the capabilities we need to deliver greener, more sustainable energy for the future.”
From rooftops to runways in just a few months, drones are already proving their worth. And with a portfolio as large as ours, this is only the beginning of what’s possible when we combine innovation with investment in our people.