New Drone-in-a-Box System Enhances Efficiency at the Morrison Busty Low-Carbon Depot
Revolutionizing Solar Panel Inspections
Durham County Council has adopted advanced drone technology to inspect over 5,000 solar panels at the Morrison Busty low-carbon depot in the UK. The innovative approach drastically reduces inspection time and resources.
The 23-acre solar site powers the depot, which reopened in 2023 after an £8.3 million renovation. The council aims to cut its carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, striving for full carbon neutrality by 2050.
Previously, staff inspected the solar farm on foot with handheld thermal scanners—a process that took several days. With the introduction of a DJI M3TD thermal drone, the same task now takes just 80 minutes.
“The solar farm is a vital asset to the Morrison Busty depot, so inspections are vital to ensure it is operating effectively,” said Louise Austin, Senior Carbon and Energy Officer at Durham County Council.
Advanced Drone and AI Integration
The inspection was conducted by skilled pilots from heliguy, a North Shields-based drone supplier and training provider. Using the DJI Dock 2, staff launched the drone directly from the site. The dock allows on-demand drone deployment and collects data year-round.
“Defects that are invisible to the naked eye can present themselves clearly using infrared. In the case of solar panels, this may be due to disconnected lines or faulty panels,” explained Alex Williams, Technical Geospatial Specialist at heliguy. “Being able to identify these issues with the speed and efficiency of drones can save valuable time, as there is no need for in-person physical inspection.”
Additionally, artificial intelligence (AI) enhances the depot’s performance by monitoring and controlling systems like photovoltaic (PV) panels, battery storage, and electric vehicle charging. Chris Jones, Principal Programme and Project Manager at Durham County Council, highlighted the system’s predictive capabilities:
“The AI management system is connected to every section of the depot. It shows the savings that are being generated against previous years’ data, and as it learns, it will start to remember that certain things will happen at certain times of the year, and it can start to make predictions. Nobody has done this before on this type of scale.”
A Model for Future Operations
The Morrison Busty depot saves an estimated 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually and serves as a model for integrating green technology into operations. Drone-in-a-box systems ensure maintenance is efficient, reliable, and adaptable to environmental changes.
Check out the video from heliguy:
To learn more about heliguy’s services, visit heliguy.com.
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Read more:
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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