FLIR Total Solution for the Renewable Energy Industry
With global electricity demands and concerns about fuel reserves—as well as political pressures—pushing coal and gas prices to new heights, many governments and businesses are looking to renewable energy as a reliable, sustainable alternative.
These renewable power sources all require regular predictive maintenance inspections to ensure equipment works efficiently and to avoid any unplanned disruptions to customers. And the most efficient way to accomplish this is by using thermal and acoustic camera technology.
Renewable Energy Applications
Solar
Solar farm operators need to perform regular predictive maintenance on solar modules, inverters, electrical connectors, and transformers to detect any potential faults, avoid breakdowns, and maintain safety. Thermal imaging cameras can identify hot spots on these critical components as well as electrical faults across the system, playing an important role in solar farm maintenance.
Wind
Wind power accounts for 6% of global renewable energy—second only to hydroelectric power. Their sites are large and remote, making predictive maintenance on mechanical and electrical systems both difficult and time consuming. Using thermal cameras for electro/mechanical inspections and acoustic imagers to find partial discharge can help ensure all components are working efficiently.
Hydroelectric
At hydropower plants, water flows through a pipe—or penstock—then pushes against and turns turbine blades to spin a generator. Any degradation of components or equipment would lead to failure or inefficient generation, causing huge cost to the plants. Dam maintenance includes electro/mechanical inspections as well as inspections of dam walls for fissures, voids, and delamination.
Biomass
Bioenergy is produced from a variety of organic materials such as wood, charcoal, manures, and agricultural crops. But energy created by burning biomass creates greenhouse gas emissions, a large portion of which is carbon dioxide (CO2). Optical gas imaging cameras can aid biomass energy producers in monitoring and reporting on CO2 emission so they can comply with emission regulations.
The FLIR Total Solution
Teledyne FLIR technologies for the renewable energy industry are powerful, non-invasive tools for monitoring systems and diagnosing failures. They allow inspectors to identify problems early, document them, and schedule repairs before they break down and force costly replacements.
The FLIR Total Solution includes:
- Thermal, acoustic, and optical gas imaging cameras
- Inspection route guidance
- Secure direct data storage
- Rapid reporting
- Training and service
FLIR Products for the Renewable Energy Industry
FLIR A500f/A700f Advanced Smart Sensor
Fixed-Mount Thermal Imaging Camera for Condition Monitoring and Early Fire Detection
View Product
Infrared Thermography Training Resources
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