The solar PV market in Saudi Arabia has grown rapidly in recent years. The country has set an ambitious target of installing 58.7 GW of renewable energy by 2030, which includes a very significant share of solar PV. To meet these targets, the Saudi administration has encouraged the private sector to invest in utility-scale solar PV projects. As a result, the market has attracted numerous companies specializing in solar power generation and related services.

In this context, Sunshine Middle East and FalconViz recently announced a partnership to offer unique services to the Saudi solar PV market. The two companies, both local and with a strong market presence, have joined forces to offer a range of services aimed at optimizing the cost and performance of utility-scale solar PV plants. With a combined experience of over 20 years in the solar PV sector and more than 8 years executing drone projects in Saudi Arabia, Sunshine Middle East and FalconViz lead KSA's solar PV market offering by providing the solar PV expertise and drone flight experience required by EPC and IPP companies.The services cover a wide range of areas related to the development, construction, and operation of solar PV plants.

In recent years, drones have become a revolutionary technology in the solar sector. They offer several advantages that contribute to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of solar PV plants at different stages. Here are some of the key areas where drones bring value to the solar industry:

1. Ground surveying and site selection:
   Our solutions help to survey and collect detailed information on potential solar project sites. High-precision surveying allows developers and EPCs to accurately assess earthwork costs and determine plant layout to optimize PV plant costs and production. This helps to identify the best sites and evaluate factors such as demarcation of roads, railways, waterways, buildings, power lines, shading, vegetation, land use optimization, etc. which will contribute to the optimization of the solar PV plant.
2. Topography:
   The high precision topography we offer allows us to accurately assess the feasibility of the ground-mounted structure selected for the project, the costs of the earthworks required, as well as the best layout of the solar PV plant to optimize costs and increase production. We perform real orthophoto, point cloud, digital surface model (DSM), digital terrain model, contour map and 3D CAD master plan.
3. Construction monitoring:
   During the construction phase, our solutions help verify activity progress and quality through image overlays to ensure that work is performed according to design and quality standards. We perform accurate and cost-effective evaluation of the construction project in accordance with the CAD design, tracking and managing design change orders during construction and meeting scheduled payment milestones.
4. Thermography Inspections:
   We use our drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras for quick and cost-effective detection of potential solar panel performance issues, allowing us to prioritize problems and identify potential root causes. These tests, which are typically performed during project acceptance, allow us to identify hot spots, missing panels, disconnected strings, damaged components, verification of tracking data with zero baseline, among others.
5. Operation and maintenance:
   During the lifetime of the solar plant, our drone solutions allow for annual inspections to check the condition of the solar panels as well as the overall connections of the solar PV plant. These services contribute not only to more efficient maintenance, but also to reducing plant downtime and optimizing plant energy production.

Overall, drones offer great advantages that contribute to the optimization of utility-scale solar PV plants. Detailed and accurate data, coupled with a software platform for data processing and management, makes our solutions an invaluable tool for the solar PV sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The partnership between Sunshine Middle East and FalconViz confirms the growing importance of leading companies joining forces to add value to the market. Sunshine Middle East and FalconViz have joined forces to drive innovation, quality and growth in the solar PV sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. To that end, we are delighted to announce our co-participation at the KSA Solar Show in Riyadh on October 30-31, register your interest at the link below, and we look forward to seeing you there at Booth F70