Before a utility-scale operator signs up, the hardware question comes up: do we need to buy drones, which cameras will work, and what does the imagery have to look like? This page sets out the drone and camera requirements for solar inspection on the ClearSpot platform: what ClearSpot accepts today, what the imagery must contain for the AI to find and locate faults, and which flight conditions make the results usable. It is not a general buyer’s guide to drone hardware; links to those guides are below.
In short: ClearSpot is an AI and drone automation platform for utility-scale solar O&M that turns thermal and RGB drone imagery, combined with SCADA and monitoring data, into prioritized work orders in your CMMS. It is hardware-agnostic: it accepts imagery from DJI and other drones and cameras, and visual and sensor data in common formats. What matters most is that the imagery is temperature-calibrated, geotagged and captured in the conditions IEC TS 62446-3 describes.
Want to check your current fleet against these requirements? Book a demo and bring the drone and camera models you fly today.
Who flies: three ways to supply imagery
Buyers usually ask whether they must own drones. ClearSpot receives imagery from flight software or as a file upload, so the constraint is the imagery, not who flew it. A flight program can be set up in three ways:
- Your own drones and pilots fly to the requirements on this page and upload the results.
- A drone service provider you already use delivers imagery that meets the same requirements.
- Flights ordered from ClearSpot under a separate services agreement. ClearSpot’s Legal and Privacy page lists a Professional Services Agreement for non-software services such as flight services.
All three work with ClearSpot. Flights arranged through ClearSpot are flown by its drone pilot program, a network of pilots across the United States and in Europe. Where your own team or contractor flies, the Master Services Agreement makes the operator responsible for drone regulations and airspace authorizations.
Thermal camera requirements for IEC TS 62446-3 thermography
IEC TS 62446-3 is the technical specification for outdoor infrared thermography of PV modules and plants. For ClearSpot, four camera properties decide whether a thermal survey can be analyzed and reported against it:
- Temperature-calibrated (radiometric) output, so every pixel carries a temperature value rather than only a color.
- Thermal sensor resolution high enough to resolve individual cells at your flight altitude.
- Thermal sensitivity (NETD) low enough to separate small temperature differences from noise.
- Ground sampling distance that keeps a cell several pixels wide in the image.
Use the IEC TS 62446-3 guidance as the reference for these properties. During onboarding, ClearSpot checks your camera and a sample of your data to confirm they are suitable. For the physics behind these numbers, read the guide to temperature-calibrated thermal drone inspection and the infrared drone inspection guide.
Drone platforms and tools ClearSpot processes today
The table lists the drone hardware and software whose outputs ClearSpot processes, as published on the ClearSpot integrations page. Inclusion does not mean an official partnership or certification with the manufacturer.
| Platform or tool | Type | How imagery reaches ClearSpot |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Matrice 30T | Enterprise drone with integrated thermal camera | API / data export |
| DJI Matrice 350 RTK with H20T or H30T | Enterprise drone with thermal payload | API / data export |
| DJI Mavic 3 Thermal | Compact thermal drone | API / data export |
| DJI FlightHub 2 | Fleet and flight management | API / data export |
| DJI Terra | Photogrammetry and mapping | API / data export |
| Pix4D | Photogrammetry | API / data export |
| DroneDeploy | Flight and mapping platform | API / data export |
The list is not exhaustive. ClearSpot is hardware-agnostic, so DJI and other drones and cameras are supported. If you are choosing between compact thermal drones, see our comparison of two compact thermal drones for solar sites.
RGB imagery requirements
ClearSpot uses RGB imagery alongside thermal data. A thermal anomaly shows that a module is hotter than its neighbors; the RGB image often shows why, such as soiling, cracked glass, bird droppings, vegetation or shading. Capture RGB on the same flight or at the same time of day, with enough overlap to build an orthomosaic, so each thermal finding can be matched to a visual image of the same module.
Irradiance sensor and flight conditions
Thermal faults only show reliably when the array is working hard. IEC TS 62446-3 sets a minimum irradiance of at least 600 W/m² in the plane of the array, together with stable weather. Log irradiance during the flight with an on-site pyranometer or the plant’s weather station, and avoid passing cloud, strong wind and wet modules. For how readings become a compliance report, see IEC 62446 compliance reporting.
Autonomous and piloted flights
Both work, provided the imagery meets the same requirements. Piloted flights suit occasional surveys and smaller sites. Autonomous flights, including docked drones that launch on a schedule, suit large portfolios that need repeat surveys of the same blocks, because each flight follows the same route and altitude and results are easier to compare over time. Docked drones are available on request for specific integrations.
What ClearSpot’s AI needs from the imagery
To detect a fault, rank it by energy impact and send a technician to the right string, the platform needs more than pictures:
- Temperature data kept in the file: original thermal files, not screenshots or color-palette exports.
- Location and time metadata: GPS position and timestamp on every image, so findings land on the correct module.
- Full coverage and overlap: complete blocks flown at a consistent altitude, so the platform can stitch and map them.
- Site layout: a block, inverter and string map, so each fault becomes a work order with a precise location.
- Irradiance log: readings for the flight window.
ClearSpot ingests visual and sensor data in common formats, and the team confirms the exact files and fields during onboarding. For what the AI looks for in the images, see how thermal imaging detects hotspots.
Frequently asked questions
Which drones work with ClearSpot?
ClearSpot is hardware-agnostic and supports DJI and other drones and cameras. It processes imagery from enterprise drones and flight and mapping tools, including the Matrice 30T, Matrice 350 RTK with H20T or H30T, Mavic 3 Thermal, FlightHub 2, Terra, Pix4D and DroneDeploy.
Do we need a temperature-calibrated thermal camera?
Yes. IEC TS 62446-3 thermography relies on measured temperatures, so ClearSpot needs the original radiometric files rather than color images.
What resolution and NETD are needed?
Enough to keep each cell several pixels wide at your flight altitude and to separate small temperature differences from noise. Use IEC TS 62446-3 as the reference; ClearSpot checks your camera and sample data during onboarding.
Can ClearSpot fly the drones for us?
Yes. ClearSpot runs a drone pilot program with a network of pilots in the United States and Europe, under a Professional Services Agreement for non-software services such as flights. Ask our team about coverage for your sites.
Can we use imagery from another drone provider?
Imagery reaches ClearSpot from flight software or as a file upload, so imagery from a contractor can be used if it meets the camera, metadata and flight-condition requirements on this page.
What weather and irradiance do flights need?
At least 600 W/m² in the plane of the array under stable conditions, as set out in IEC TS 62446-3, with no passing cloud, strong wind or wet modules.
Check your fleet against ClearSpot’s requirements
Send us your drone and camera models and a sample flight, and we will show what the platform finds in it. Book a demo with the ClearSpot team.