Offshore wind has dominated the industry news cycle, and will likely maintain its position as a prominent development in renewables. But the aquatic turbine towers shouldn’t overshadow a number of other noteworthy federal and technological developments related to wind that are worth looking into. Deploying drones Unmanned aerial vehicles have streamlined turbine blade inspections by…
Drones ready for take-off in the wind industry – A UK perspective
This article comes from U.K. based law and tax firm CMS and is authored by Munir Hassan, Andrew Shaw, and Richard Streeter. Recent advances in technology have made the use of drones a commercial reality for those operating and maintaining wind farms and other energy assets, both on and offshore. The Financial Times recently reported…
Wireless video firm Amimon flys high at London UAV show
Amimon, developer of zero-latency, wireless HD transmission technology, demonstrated the latest enhancements to the company’s CONNEX solution at the recent Commercial UAV Show in London, UK. One highlight of the show was two flying sessions demonstrating CONNEX. “The Commercial UAV Show is Europe’s largest civilian show focused on UAV’s and related technologies, providing a venue…
Navigant Research report: Drones for wind-turbine inspections expected to hit $6 billon by 2024
Editor’s note: According to a new report from Navigant Research, the cumulative global revenue for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sales and inspection services for wind turbines is expected to reach nearly $6 billion by 2024. Technicians have traditionally relied on visual inspections from the ground or up-turbine by use of ropes or cables. However, UAVs are now…
Drones are in the air
For wind farm owners, drones or unmanned aerial inspector, could be as good as a “$10,000 off your next blade inspection” coupon. Carrying 24-megabit pixel cameras or high-def video, inspecting blades is just their first assignment. Paul Dvorak / Editor Quadcopters and similar remote-controlled air vehicles have been available for years. YouTube is full of…
Here’s what drones might do for the wind industry
It’s been a long time coming, but the FAA has finally released guidelines for commercial UAV operations that would allow unmanned aerial vehicles – drones – carry cameras to inspect wind farms and other utility infrastructure. The technology has been available for years. YouTube is full videos from hobbyists flying quad-copters with GoPros showing the…