drone

Utility-scale solar farms are essential players in the energy transition. But with growth comes more exposure, and large solar arrays are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, especially hailstorms. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, utility executives, plant managers, engineers, and energy policymakers need proven, scalable methods for assessing and repairing solar farm damage quickly and effectively.

Inspecting and monitoring long-distance transmission lines has always been both costly and dangerous for utilities. Networks that stretch across remote, rugged terrain make traditional methods like climbing towers, deploying helicopters, or sending out ground crews resource-intensive and risky for workers. Today, autonomous drones are changing this process by offering a faster, safer, and more cost-effective […]

Employing artificial intelligence (AI) in the power industry may seem like a futuristic concept, but the truth is that it’s available in several innovative applications today. Power companies that tap into

Sustainable, efficient, and powerful—many energy experts agree that hydrogen power has the potential to be a major force in the coming years. Hydrogen fuel provides all the convenience and power of fossil fuels (particularly of natural gas) without the carbon dioxide residue. Hydrogen doesn’t require soil-scarring mining projects or deep wells; it’s literally all around us, and can […]

A successful clean energy transition depends on maximizing output and minimizing the costs of renewable investments.In particular, wind turbines are highly effective assets but require frequent detailed inspections and maintenance to ensure they are fully operational and maximize their energy production. This can be ‘easier said than done’ for many wind turbine owners and operations […]

Cyberhawk, a world leader in drone inspection services and data visualisation software, has entered an agreement with Australia-based Azure Integrity. The agreement combines Azure’s extensive drone capabilities, with Cyberhawk’s data visualisation software, to offer an end-to-end inspection solution for the power grid, construction, energy and mining industries across Australia and New Zealand. Cyberhawk has developed […]

The electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) grid is under pressure like never before. There are a number of data-driven digital solutions to help shore up the grid that have been getting a lot of

Cyberhawk drone-based inspections monitor over 11,500 transmission towers and nearly 150 substations across Scottish Utility Network DENVER – March 30, 2021 – Cyberhawk, a global leader in drone-based inspections and creator of iHawk, a cloud-based asset visualization software platform, has released a case study that examines how its drone-based visual assessment and data management of […]

A  seminal milestone in the drone industry, American Robotics now meets the safety requirements needed to make drones scalable for widespread commercial use. MARLBOROUGH, Mass. & WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–American Robotics, a leading developer of fully-automated commercial drone systems, today became the first company approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate automated drones without human […]

The U.S. bulk electric system consists of more than 360,000 miles of transmission lines, including approximately 180,000 miles of high-voltage lines, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. That means power companies have a lot on their plates when it comes to inspecting and maintaining those assets. Furthermore, the stakes are high. As wildfires in […]

“Tedious.” If you ask electric utilities for one word on powerline inspection, that would probably be it. “Time-consuming” and “expensive” would probably also feature. Yet, “vital” would be just as valid: there is no way to safely operate a transmission and distribution network without inspecting lines for damage or risk from factors such as vegetation. […]

Cutting-edge technology will help electric utilities in Texas maintain electrical assets AUSTIN, Texas, May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (TEC) and Exelon Clearsight, LLC (Exelon Clearsight) announced they have formed a partnership to bring advanced UAS (drone), robot, and software enabled inspections to utilities in Texas. Under the agreement, TEC will […]

Drones represent a classic good news/bad news scenario. The good news is great. The bad news is terrifying. On the good news front, drones can keep utility-sector workers safely on the ground, with the

Today, drones equipped with sensors and cameras are proving their worth in gathering real-time footage that can be stored for later analysis. Uncrewed aerial systems can detect failing structures and equipment

An East Coast industrial plant had for months experienced a significant dropoff in energy production from its 36,000-square-foot solar field. The plant’s maintenance team had been unable to find any problems

Xcel Energy on September 12 launched a drone to inspect electric power lines near Fort St. Vrain Generating Station in Platteville, Colorado—marking the first flight by a U.S. utility beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) during ongoing inspections. Xcel on Wednesday launched a 35-pound drone that is equipped with two cameras, as local, state, and federal […]

Across the country, energy and utility companies are adopting and using drone technology to increase their business operations and improve overall safety of their workforces. Many companies are also discussing the risks and rewards of implementing new safety technology on job sites. With workplace fatalities in the transportation, warehousing, and utilities sectors comprising 17.3% of […]

Texo Drone Survey and Inspection (Texo DSI), the owner operators of the world’s most comprehensive and dynamic fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles has announced that it has carried out an internal UAV inspection of a live nuclear asset – a first for the global nuclear sector. Texo DSI were commissioned by URENCO UK to carry […]

The toy everyone had on their Christmas wish list has become a technological phenomenon being used across a range of industrial sectors. That toy is the unmanned aerial vehicle—more commonly known as a drone. As the drone’s number of uses grows, so does users’ knowledge thanks to the highly sensitive detection methods they employ. One […]

HAILEY, Idaho (Dec. 6, 2016) — POWER Engineers Incorporated (POWER) is now offering the use of unmanned aerial systems — commonly known as drones — to collect video, photos and data for use in state-of-the-art 3D terrain and tower modeling and visualizations for clients across the nation. Three of POWER’s expert staff members passed the […]

A drone crash at the Koeberg nuclear power station in South Africa has led to the suspension of the site’s safety officer for breach of regulations. The Koeberg facility is a dual-unit 1,800-MW station located about 30 kilometers northwest of Cape Town. It is the only nuclear power plant in Africa. According to owner and […]

Advanced drones capable of carrying sophisticated imaging equipment and significant payloads pose a serious threat to nuclear power plants and other high-profile targets, says a report released on Jan. 11 by The Remote Control Project. Analysts for Open Briefing, a London-based civil society intelligence agency, compiled the report. The group reviewed 202 commercially available drones […]