Asset Owners Talk Drone Inspection

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At a recent industry conference, energy asset owners shared their experience using drones to inspect assets. Several individual asset owners dove deep into their programs and then a panel discussion finished off the topic. 

The session started with a presentation from Rohit Gohil of Ameren, who focused on the company's utilization of UAVs for conducting infrared inspections. Gohil elaborated on the advantages of drones in the context of "non-contact data acquisition," emphasizing their capability to approach assets more closely than conventional methods, ultimately enabling the collection of more precise asset information.

Following Gohil's presentation, Teena Deering, representing TeeDeeUAS and San Diego Gas & Electric, shared her insights regarding encounters with the public attempting to interfere with asset-inspecting drones in residential areas. Deering discussed strategies for professionals to handle such situations and provided guidance on collaborating with local and federal law enforcement in the aftermath of such incidents.

Jake Lahmann, representing Valmont Industries, one of the United States' major utility asset owners, provided insights into the company's evolving drone operations. He discussed the growth of their drone initiatives over time and detailed the strategies they've implemented to achieve efficient scaling of their work.

Lastly, Stanley McHann of SparkMeter, echoed the theme of establishing drone divisions for inspection purposes and emphasized the significance of selecting the appropriate equipment while maximizing the return on investment (ROI) from your operational workflows.

After these individuals, a panel took the stage, moderated by Cynthia Huang, CEO of ACSL, and including the following panelists:

  • Nate Robie, Dominion Energy Services, Inc.

  • Garrett Scott, Duke Energy Corporation

  • James Pierce, Ameren

  • Mathew Spurlock, Southern Company

To start the panel discussion, Huang acknowledged the remarkable growth of the drone industry over the past five years and recalled her introduction to the industry in 2018 when drone programs typically involved a modest number of drones, ranging from 10 to 20. Whereas nowadays, large utility companies routinely manage hundreds or even thousands of drones. 

When asked about the primary challenge of drone inspection programs, the consensus among the panelists was that providing more education within organizations is a hurdle. Additionally, the panel discussed the importance of recognizing drones' specific strengths and understanding that they are not a one-size-fits-all solution. 

The group also discussed: 

  • Growth of the Drone Industry: The large growth of drone use by energy and utility companies in the last five years as well as the potential future growth

  • Specialization of Drone Applications: Drones are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and operators need to identify use cases with the highest potential impact

  • Data from Drones in Energy: Companies need to focus on the software used for processing drone-collected data, and it should be flexible yet work within to-be-established standards

  • Artificial Intelligence and Automation: AI is huge in processing imagery from drone inspections, and this sector is still being established and built

  • Standardized Data Formats: The industry needs standardized file and data formats to help streamlining data and avoid data overload

Hear more from asset owners in our two-part recap of the Energy Drone & Robotics Asset Owners Roundtable.