Drone Use Cases for the Energy Sector
The energy industry is in a constant state of change. With the advent of new technologies and regulations, operators face an ever-increasing burden to meet compliance standards while keeping costs down. At the same time, no one can argue against the fact that drones are the future of energy exploration. They’re changing how we explore new oil and gas reserves, monitor existing wells, and inspect pipelines. If you haven’t yet seen the power of this technological marvel, here at FlyGuys we have the experience and knowledge to assist your company.
Energy Site Inspections: Speed, Safety, and Accuracy With the Power of Drones
FlyGuys offer a comprehensive suite of drone services for your business needs, from site assessments to 3D mapping and thermal imaging. We can help you cut costs by eliminating unnecessary equipment purchases, reducing risk through accurate data capture, improving efficiency with our automated workflow tools, and increasing accuracy through real-time monitoring capabilities.
As part of our efforts to help you maximize your investment, we’ve identified some of the most common use cases in the energy industry to help you make better-informed decisions about how drones can benefit your business.
Drone Use Cases for Wind Turbine Inspections
While certain drones are capable of performing wind turbine inspections on their own, the whole process is a lot more efficient if you have a manned team in place as well. A single technician can inspect multiple turbines with a drone or UAS while a second person inspects each turbine on the ground – ensuring no time is wasted going back and forth between one another.
What’s more is that you can capture and share images and videos of your inspection in real-time with a second employee, which allows for better communication and the ability to diagnose problems that would otherwise go unnoticed if inspected by ground personnel alone.
Drone Use Cases for Pipeline Inspections
If there’s one thing we know about drones, it’s that most of them don’t require gas to operate. Whether it’s flying at 45 miles per hour or just hovering, drones are light on their feet and don’t require much energy to keep them in the air.
This is especially valuable for pipeline inspections because most pipelines run through remote areas that are difficult to access. Using drones can also speed up the process of asset inspections because they can cover significantly more acres than traditional inspection methods.
Fire Detection Drone Inspections
We’ve mentioned this before but it bears repeating: drones don’t need gas. That means that aside from saving money by eliminating the operational expenditures associated with manned aircraft, drones also save money by eliminating the need to carry fuel on your person during inspections.
This is especially important for fire detection drone inspections because you’re always walking on eggshells when it comes to safety. You can never be too careful or safe, and that means limiting unnecessary risk wherever possible, including where and how you fuel your aircraft.
Drone Use Cases for Substation Inspections
Many electric companies have switched from traditional transformers to more efficient power sources, such as solid-state substations. While these new technologies are a step in the right direction, they come with their own set of problems. For example, power transformer failures can cause widespread outages that prevent thousands of people from using power.
The primary objective for substation inspections is maintaining high levels of safety while providing accurate data on the health and risk of your assets. Luckily, drones are increasingly becoming the ideal tool for this job because they provide reliable data in real-time without posing an unnecessary risk to human safety.
Drone Use Cases for Pipeline 3D Mapping
One of the primary concerns for pipeline owners and operators is knowing what’s under the “hood”. There are several reasons why having an accurate map of your pipelines is paramount to understanding their current state, including:
- Minimizing risks associated with pipeline failure and leakage
- Mitigating the risk of environmental harm to sensitive ecosystems
- Determining which areas are most at-risk due to population density or proximity to property boundaries
- Planning for upcoming expansion projects
The good news is that drones can do all of this much faster than traditional mapping methods.
Drone Use Cases for Energy Site Inspections
In any industry that deals with rotating or moving equipment – such as oil and gas – site inspections are a must-do to ensure safety and compliance across your organization. Drone use cases for site inspections can help you achieve these goals by providing accurate data on the health of your current machinery without posing an unnecessary risk to human safety.
If you can eliminate unnecessary risks, you can lower costs associated with worker’s compensation claims which, in turn, frees up capital for other projects where it may be needed most.
Drone Services for Solar Farm Operations
It is crucial for solar farms to continue to improve inspection efficiency and energy yields over time. The integration of drone technology improves solar farm inspections, minimizes on-site personnel difficulties, and improves the efficiency and accuracy of these processes.
FlyGuys has a network of licensed and insured drone pilots to provide aerial data collection services to businesses in need of this technology. We make it easy for clients like you to get your hands on high quality drone data, including LiDAR, photogrammetry and thermal data at an affordable price.
The Sky is Truly The Limit
We can help you decide if a drone is the right tool for your energy sector business. If you have any other questions about drone technology or our capabilities, please give us a call at 1 (888) 837-0940. Our team is always happy to help!