# Solar Thermal Imaging Inspection

Thermal imaging, often flown by drone, finds hot spots, faulty cells, failed diodes and bad connections that the eye cannot see. Warm areas on the scan point straight to the panels or strings dragging your output down. PPA Funding introduces you to a vetted provider for a no-obligation quote.

## What thermographic inspection finds

A working solar cell runs at a fairly even temperature. A faulty one runs hot. A thermal camera reads those differences and shows them as bright patches, so a scan quickly reveals cracked cells, failed bypass diodes, shading damage, hot connectors and whole panels or strings that have dropped out.

These faults often produce no visible mark and may not throw an obvious error, yet they steadily eat into generation. On a large array that can be the difference between a healthy system and one losing a slice of its output to a handful of failed panels nobody has spotted. Finding them by heat is faster and more thorough than checking panels one by one.

## Drone scans for larger sites

On big rooftop and ground-mounted arrays, a drone-mounted camera covers the whole site in a fraction of the time and reaches panels that are hard to walk. The provider flies a planned pattern, captures the array in daylight under good load, and maps every anomaly back to its exact location for follow-up. The drone also keeps people off the roof, which is safer and quicker on tall or fragile buildings.

## What you get from the survey

A thermographic survey produces a report with the thermal images, the position of each fault and a view on severity, so you know which panels to inspect, repair or replace. It pairs well with a wider health check, and the work is carried out to the relevant standards by a qualified provider.

To arrange a survey, tell us the size and type of array and how it is accessed, and we pass your enquiry to a provider who runs thermal or drone inspections and can quote for the site.

## Frequently asked questions

**Do you need to shut the system down for a scan?**

Usually not. Thermal imaging is best done with the system running under good sunlight, since faults show up as heat differences under load. A provider will confirm the conditions needed for an accurate survey of your site.

**Does PPA Funding carry out the thermal survey?**

No. We are an introducer. We connect you with a vetted provider who runs thermal or drone inspections, pass on your enquiry, and they carry out the survey and report to you directly.

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Source: [Solar Thermal Imaging Inspection](https://ppafunding.com/operations-and-maintenance/solar-thermal-imaging-inspection) · Updated: 2026-08-03

PPA Funding is an independent introducer operated by DVC Group Ltd (Companies House 10462808), Shrewsbury — not the funder, the installer or the maintenance provider. The service is free to use; a commission may be earned from a partner at no extra cost. Content is educational and is not financial or tax advice.