FLIR Thermal Imaging

A radiometric thermal camera doesn’t just take a “heat picture”: it measures the surface temperature of every pixel in the frame. Mounted on a drone, that turns into a non-contact diagnostic tool: failing electrical connections, flat-roof water intrusion, missing insulation, leaking steam lines, stressed mechanical equipment: all of it shows up as a temperature anomaly long before it becomes a failure.

What you get back from a thermal inspection

• Radiometric image set with embedded temperature data on every pixel: you can re-measure any point in post-processing, not just trust the field reading.
• Annotated PDF inspection report with side-by-side visible / thermal pairs, anomaly callouts, and severity coding.
• CSV of measurement points for ingest into a CMMS or maintenance backlog.
• Georeferenced thermal orthomosaic (optional) for larger assets: roofs, substations, or solar arrays where location-on-asset matters.

The hardware behind a defensible reading

For diagnostic work we fly radiometric thermal sensors at 640×512 resolution or better, paired with a visible-light camera for spatial context on every frame. Higher resolutions push the small-defect detection limit further out: useful for utility-scale solar arrays or large building envelopes where the anomaly may be a single panel or a single roof seam. Lower-resolution sensors are fine for orientation work but we don’t quote them for inspection deliverables.

The questions buyers ask first

• How accurate are the temperature readings? Radiometric sensors typically deliver ±2°C or 2% of reading (whichever is greater) on calibrated targets. We report against that and note any factors that affect it on your site.
• Who interprets the imagery? Anomaly identification and severity calls are made by a thermographer with Level I or Level II credentials: flying the drone is one job, reading the data is a separate one.
• What’s the reporting format? PDF report for human reading, plus the radiometric image set and CSV for ingest into your asset-management or CMMS platform.
• Does time of day matter? Yes: electrical work is usually best at peak load (often midday), roof scans are typically run at dusk after the deck has been warmed by the sun all day, and solar arrays scan during clear-sky operating hours. We pick the window based on what you’re trying to detect.
• How often should we re-inspect? Depends on the asset class: utility electrical work is often annual, commercial roofs after every major weather event, solar arrays on a one-to-three-year cadence depending on warranty terms.

Energized electrical and arc-flash discipline

For energized substation or transmission work, we fly under FAA Part 107 with site-specific authorizations and we plan every flight against your facility’s arc-flash boundaries and approach-distance rules. A drone is a non-contact tool, but it still flies over energized equipment: your safety program governs how we operate.

Who buys thermal inspections

Commercial roofing companies (post-storm and pre-warranty surveys), electrical utilities (substations and transmission), industrial facility maintenance teams (steam, refrigeration, motor diagnostics), building-diagnostics firms (insulation audits, moisture intrusion), and fire investigators (post-fire hot-spot location and structural overview).

How it’s priced

• Per-asset rates for substations, solar arrays, individual roofs, or industrial assets where the scope is well defined
• Per-day rate for multi-asset programs or open-scope diagnostic days
• Fixed report fee on top of either model: the thermographer’s interpretation is its own line item
• Roof scans often quoted by building footprint; electrical scans by number of assets inspected