Solar Thermal Inspection in Nevada: Inside the Dry Lake Solar Project

A drone thermal inspection helps a solar operations team locate unusual temperature patterns and decide where to investigate next. At Dry Lake Solar in Nevada, our Extreme Aerial Productions team flew the project, performed the thermal inspection work, and produced the reporting. We combined thermal observations with corresponding visual images, location references, and recommended actions.

For an owner, asset manager, or operations and maintenance team, that connection matters. You need to understand what was observed, where to find it, and what the report recommends doing next.

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Dry Lake Solar, Nevada: site footage and a matched thermal/visual report example. Inspection and reporting by Extreme Aerial Productions.

What did the Dry Lake Solar inspection show?

One example in our report, Anomaly 11, shows how the information comes together. The entry records:

• Classification: Multiple Hot Cells.

• Root-cause assessment: Damaged Module.

• Recommended action: Replace.

• Supporting evidence: A thermal image, its corresponding visual image, and a location reference.

These are the assessment and recommendation recorded in the report. The entry was marked unresolved in the version reviewed for this article; repair completion has not been verified.

Dry Lake Solar report example: Multiple Hot Cells, with replacement recommended. Inspection and reporting by Extreme Aerial Productions. Repair completion has not been verified.

The matched image pair is useful because the team receiving the report can relate the thermal pattern to the module shown in the visual view. The location reference then connects that observation to follow-up at the site.

Other examples in the report call for different actions. Entries classified as Hot Spot and Heated Module recommend Field Inspection. That distinction matters when an operating team decides which observations need further checks and which have a specific recommended action.

What does thermal imagery add to a solar inspection?

An infrared camera records temperature patterns across operating solar modules. It can help reveal areas that deserve closer attention, including patterns that a conventional photograph does not show.

Interpreting those patterns takes context. The IEA PVPS operation and maintenance guidelines explain that infrared thermography alone may be insufficient to establish a conclusive root cause or quantify power losses. Operating data and complementary field tests can be needed.

That is why I want the imagery and reporting to work together. A bright area in a thermal image is a starting point for review. The location, visual context, assessment, and recommended action make the finding more useful to the people responsible for the plant.

Why pair thermal and visual images?

Each view answers a different question. The thermal image shows the pattern under review. Its matched visual image shows the corresponding module and its surroundings. Wider site photographs and video help explain the scale and context of the work.

Our Dry Lake Solar video includes behind-the-scenes site footage alongside the actual thermal and visual pair from the report example. The wider footage provides project context; the matched report images provide the specific evidence being discussed.

Keeping that relationship clear makes it easier for a maintenance team, a project stakeholder, or a viewer unfamiliar with thermal imagery to understand what they are seeing.

What should a useful solar inspection report include?

Before collection, I recommend agreeing on the information the receiving team needs:

• Coverage: The areas to be inspected and any exclusions.

• Location references: A practical way to find each observation again.

• Supporting imagery: Thermal and corresponding visual views where needed.

• Findings and actions: Clearly recorded classifications, assessments, and recommended follow-up.

• Status and responsibility: Who will arrange the next checks and record completion.

The inspection purpose should shape that scope. A baseline inspection, a focused investigation, and preparation for a maintenance visit may require different coverage and deliverables. The right starting point is the decision your team needs to make.

Collection conditions also matter. Sunlight, weather, viewing geometry, and the system's operating state can affect the usefulness of the imagery. Agreeing on collection requirements and recording relevant conditions helps the receiving team understand the evidence and its limits.

Can thermal inspection confirm lost production or completed repairs?

Those conclusions require additional evidence. A thermal observation and a recommended action do not establish how much energy was lost or whether a repair was carried out. Electrical checks, operating records, and confirmation from the responsible maintenance team may be needed.

For this Dry Lake Solar example, we are sharing the inspection evidence and the recommendation documented in our report. Any later repair or performance result would need its own verification.

Planning solar inspection work in Nevada or Arizona?

Send me your site location, inspection objective, intended timing, and the information your team needs at handoff. We can discuss a scope that supports your next decision.

Explore our solar and power inspection services, or see our broader drone services in Las Vegas and Nevada.

I care about making the work useful after the aircraft has landed. That means connecting the flight, the imagery, and the reporting to the people who will use the results.

From the ground to the air, we capture it all.

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