Solar park inspection course with UAV
Online course of 300 hours in solar farm inspection with UAVs: 6 modules covering photovoltaic plants and their defects, photovoltaic thermography, flight planning, processing and analysis, and asset management, with an assigned technical tutor.
Solar park inspection course with UAV — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has one of the world's most established aerospace sectors, anchored by clusters in Bristol, Filton, Derby, Hampshire and Scotland's Glasgow corridor. Major manufacturers and suppliers such as Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Airbus UK and GKN Aerospace drive demand for engineers in design, propulsion, structures and systems integration. Urban air mobility, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and commercial drones are emerging alongside, supported by government programmes and test corridors. Space engineering is growing through launch and satellite activity around the UK spaceports and Harwell. Graduates with aerospace expertise find roles across manufacturing, certification and research.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £537 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which professional bodies in the UK recognise aerospace engineering qualifications, and does SEIUM's qualification give me chartered status?
In the UK, the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS) is the main professional body for aerospace engineers and can award Chartered Engineer status through the Engineering Council. SEIUM's qualifications are private and are not accredited by the Engineering Council or RAeS, so they do not confer chartered status on their own. Recognition is decided by employers and the relevant body, so check directly with RAeS whether your study and experience will count towards registration.
Will a private online aerospace qualification help me find work with UK aerospace or drone employers?
UK aerospace, drone and space employers, including many working on civil aviation, defence and space projects, generally judge candidates on demonstrated skills, portfolio work and experience. A private qualification may support your application, but its value depends on each employer's own assessment. It is worth asking prospective employers how they view such qualifications before you enrol.
Can I study this programme alongside a full-time job in the UK, and what language level is needed?
Yes, programmes are delivered fully online, so you can study from home without a student visa, wherever you are based. Workload varies by programme length, and you will have an assigned technical tutor for support. Teaching is in English, so you should be comfortable reading and writing technical English. Check the programme schedule and time commitment against your working hours before enrolling.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify the characteristic defects of photovoltaic modules.
Apply the principles of thermography to solar inspection.
Plan inspection flights in line with IEC TS 62446-3.
Process thermal orthomosaics and geolocate anomalies.
Classify anomalies by severity and estimate losses.
Produce inspection reports that are useful for maintenance.
Integrate drone inspection into asset management.
Who it's for
- Thermographers working on photovoltaic installations.
- Energy inspection drone pilots.
- Solar operation and maintenance technicians.
- Plant performance analysts.
- Renewable asset management engineers.
- Technical due diligence consultants.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter the solar energy sector.
What you'll work with
- IEC TS 62446-3 (outdoor infrared thermography of PV modules and plants)
- IEC 62446-1 (testing, documentation and maintenance of grid-connected PV systems)
- IEC 61215-1 (design qualification and type approval of PV modules)
- IEC 60904-12 (infrared thermography of photovoltaic devices)
- Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947 (rules and procedures for UAS operations)
- Royal Decree 614/2001 (Spanish rules on protection against electrical risk)
- IEC 61724-1 (PV system performance monitoring)
- DJI Thermal Analysis Tool
- Raptor Maps
- Pix4Dmapper
- FLIR Thermal Studio
- QGIS
6 modules
1.1Components: modules, strings, inverters and trackers1.2Physics of the photovoltaic cell1.3I-V curve and maximum power point1.4Defects: hot spots, PID and snail trails1.5Bypass diodes and their failure1.6Soiling and shading1.7Degradation and manufacturer warranties1.8Production losses and their cost1.9Preventive and corrective maintenance1.10Case study: economic impact of defects in a 50 MW plant
2.1Principles of infrared radiometry2.2Glass emissivity and reflections2.3Minimum irradiance conditions2.4Radiometric cameras for UAVs2.5Thermal resolution and GSD2.6Viewing angle2.7Classification of thermal anomalies2.8Inspection requirements under IEC2.9Thermography versus electroluminescence2.10Lab: analysis of thermograms of defective modules
3.1Height and speed as a function of GSD3.2Orientation relative to rows3.3Time of day and weather conditions3.4Combined RGB and thermal flights3.5Large plants and BVLOS flights3.6Drone-in-a-box for recurring inspection3.7Magnetic interference at substations3.8Safety in electrical installations3.9Coordination with maintenance3.10Practical exercise: planning the inspection of 100 hectares
4.1Thermal orthomosaics4.2Module geolocation4.3Automatic detection with AI4.4Severity classification4.5Estimation of energy losses4.6Multi-temporal comparison4.7Integration with SCADA4.8Inspection reports4.9Work order management4.10Workshop: automatic hot-spot detection with Python
5.1Inspection at commissioning handover5.2Warranty claims5.3Due diligence in acquisitions5.4Night-time electroluminescence by drone5.5Robotic cleaning5.6Performance indicators: PR and availability5.7Inspection costs5.8Procurement of services5.9Technology trends5.10Case study: technical due diligence of a plant
6.1Plant characterisation6.2Scope definition6.3Equipment selection6.4Flight plan6.5Data processing6.6Anomaly classification6.7Loss estimation6.8Report and recommendations6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with your tutor
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, making it compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standards and applied exercises. The working software is DJI Thermal Analysis Tool, Raptor Maps, Pix4Dmapper, FLIR Thermal Studio and QGIS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Exercises are based on real procedures for aerial thermographic inspection of plants, validation with I-V curve measurements and night-time electroluminescence. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final capstone project.
Standards covered: IEC TS 62446-3, IEC 62446-1, IEC 61215-1, IEC 60904-12, Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947, Royal Decree 614/2001, IEC 61724-1.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with DJI Thermal Analysis Tool, Raptor Maps, Pix4Dmapper, FLIR Thermal Studio and QGIS, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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