Renewable Drones Market

Global Renewable Drones Market Size (2024 to 2029)

The size of the global renewable drones market is expected to grow from USD 57.2 million in 2024 to USD 189.7 million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 27.1% from 2024 to 2029.

Renewable drones are used in aerial and ground surveys, and drone technology is used in the wind and solar industries. They can contribute to a greener future because they can generate electricity on their own. Revolving drone inspection helps eliminate the need for inspection staff to work at height. It also reduces maintenance time while determining whether a repair should be done immediately or can be safely delayed.

MARKET DRIVERS

The growing adoption of drones to reduce inspections and the increased focus on asset optimization are driving the renewable drone market globally.

Solar farms are usually very large installations, so a drone equipped with an appropriate thermal camera can scan the entire farm for faults faster than with a portable thermal camera on the ground. In the case of wind turbines, inspections are done manually by scaling or using long-range photography. Manual inspections that involve escalation present dangers that can be avoided with drone inspections. Collecting data in the field can be time-consuming and lacks the detail and flexibility that a drone can offer. A drone can perform an inspection of a wind turbine (3 blades) in 40 minutes. Therefore, drone inspections are faster, more accurate, and cheaper solutions for wind and solar farm inspections. The renewable energy sector is among the most dynamic in the world.

Renewable power plants are developing at a rapid pace with advanced technologies, with the growing demand for clean and sustainable energy, countries are shifting their focus from conventional energy sources to increasing production from renewable energy sources. Wind power has grown at a CAGR of over 21% since 2000. Additionally, onshore wind installations are expected to reach 5,044 GW by 2050. This will create demand for wind turbines for new installations, as well as replacement of ancient turbines. The development of wind power plants is capital-intensive, and asset owners seek to maximize profitability and minimize expenses. This is where drones come into the picture. Drones will help reduce wind turbine inspection expenses by at least 40% and can provide data in 2-3 days, compared to 2-3 weeks for traditional inspection methods.

MARKET RESTRAINTS

Drones are extremely important for utility companies to conduct inspection operations. However, legal requirements have limited progress in the drone market. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) is the regulator for drone operations. These regulations exclude drone operations in certain circumstances, such as behind line of sight (BVLOS), long distance, or at night. A trained drone pilot is essential to remotely control and operate commercial drones in various weather conditions and terrain. Many accidents occur due to poor control in mid-flight.

Impact of Covid-19 on Renewable Drones market

The COVID-19 outbreak has had negative effects on the entire energy sector. According to the IEA, the coronavirus crisis has had a significant impact on the growth of renewable energy capacity. Net renewable capacity additions in 2021 are expected to drop 13% from 2019. This drop is mainly due to delayed construction activities and supply chain disruptions, with major countries imposing lockdowns, social distancing measures for workers and financial challenges. In 2021, renewable energy capacity is expected to increase with the resumption of delayed projects. Supportive government policies aimed at increasing renewable energy capacity are likely to help improve economic conditions.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

Global Renewable Drones Market Analysis By Type

Of these, the multirotor segment was the biggest contributor to the renewable drone market in 2023. Multirotor drones they have several advantages over fixed-wing drones; for example, multirotor aircraft can perform vertical take-offs and landings. They also require less space to take off, can float in mid-flight, and manoeuvre around objects for easier inspection, mapping and modelling.

Global Renewable Drones Market Analysis By Solution

Among these, the end-to-end solutions segment is expected to dominate the renewable drones market during the forecast period. End-to-end solution means that the supplier of services offers the drones and accessories, data analysis and reporting to the customer so that no other supplier is involved in fulfilling requests.

Global Renewable Drones Market Analysis By End-User

The solar segment is expected to grow at a faster CAGR during the forecast period. To meet the rising call for inspection and maintenance of solar farms, asset owners, inspectors and drone service providers need to develop an in-depth knowledge of thermography and aerial operations to fully benefit from the benefits of solar inspection by drone.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

Asia-Pacific is expected to be the key region in the global market during the forecast period. Significant investments in renewable energy production, especially in developing countries such as China and India, and Government subsidies to modernize the sector are expected to drive renewable energy into the region's market between 2021 and 2030. The European Union (EU) has taken the lead in deploying renewable energy, with a target of 20% energy renewable in its total energy consumption by 2021.

The renewable drone market in the Middle East and Africa is likely to grow at a significant rate during the outlook period, owing to the vast agricultural land and attempts to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Government initiatives on clean and pollution-free energy are also expected to boost the renewable drone market in the region during the forecast period.

On the other hand, the size of the renewable drone market in the United States is expected to double by the end of the envisioned period. Renewable energy projects in the United States are expected to benefit from multi-year federal tax incentives and several state-wide favorable policies for solar energy in the coming years.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE DRONES MARKET

DJI Enterprise (China), Terra Drone (Japan), Aerodyne Measure (US), DroneDeploy (US), Parrot Group (France), ABJ Drones (US), DRONE VOLT Group (France), Airpix (India), Sitemark (Belgium), Skylark Drones (India), PrecisionXYZ (US), Flyability (Switzerland), FORCE Technology (Denmark) and Droneflight (UK) are playing a dominating role in the renewable drones market.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• In January 2021, Alphabet announced that it was completing work on Makani, a project that attempted to generate power using wind turbines connected to kites.
• In April 2019, DroneBase declared that FLIR Systems, Inc. had made a strategic investment in the business, which will help it expand its thermal imaging services. FLIR would be the exclusive supplier of thermal imaging equipment for DroneBase.

DETAILED SEGMENTATION OF THE GLOBAL RENEWABLE DRONES MARKET INCLUDED IN THIS REPORT.

This research report on the global renewable drones market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on type, solution, end-user and region.

By Drone Type

• Multirotor
• Fixed Wing

By Solution

• End-to-End Solution
• Point Solution

By End-user

• Solar
• Wind

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa