In partnership with Quantified Labs

PV Electro Luminescence Testing

Field-based drone EL testing for solar plants in Kenya, DRC, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Rwanda. The factory gold-standard test, delivered on-site: every cell, every module, no dismantling.

The impact

One defective module bottlenecks an entire string

Diagram showing a defective module acting as a bottleneck that squeezes the output of a whole solar string

Defects don't stay local. They drag the whole string down.

Solar modules are wired in series, so a string only produces what its weakest module allows. A single cracked or degraded module quietly squeezes the output, and the profit, of every healthy module around it. Across a utility-scale plant, undetected cell defects compound into significant lost revenue every day.

EL testing finds those weak modules with certainty, at cell level, so you fix the bottleneck instead of guessing at the symptom.

Why field-based EL

Lab-quality answers, without touching your plant

Traditional EL testing means uninstalling modules and shipping them to a laboratory. Field-based drone EL brings the laboratory to your site.

[ NO DISMANTLING ]

Modules stay on the racks

No uninstalling, no transport damage risk, no re-installation cost. Modules are tested exactly as they operate, in place.

[ SCALE ]

Thousands of modules per campaign

Autonomous drone flight maps entire blocks per night. What a lab tests in weeks, a field campaign covers in days.

[ UPTIME ]

Minimal production impact

Campaigns are flown at night or with minimal interruption, so your plant keeps generating revenue while it is being diagnosed.

[ CONTEXT ]

Real operating conditions

Defects are assessed in the module's true electrical and environmental context, with results mapped to exact plant locations for repair crews.

Regions we serve

One EL partner across six African markets

VersaDrones delivers PV electroluminescence testing with licensed local pilots and in-country permits in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Rwanda, with Nairobi as our operational base for East Africa.

What EL reveals

Defects that thermal and IV testing cannot see

Under EL, every solar cell emits light where it works and stays dark where it doesn't. The result is an X-ray-like image of the electrical health of your modules.

Electroluminescence image revealing cracked and inactive solar cells within modules

Microcracks and cell fractures

Hairline cracks from transport, installation, hail, or thermal cycling. Invisible to the eye and to thermal cameras until output has already dropped.

EL scans of three solar modules with highlighted defect regions

PID, soldering and interconnect faults

Potential-induced degradation, failed solder joints, and broken interconnects show up as dark cells and regions, classified defect by defect.

Full-module electroluminescence scan showing cell-level condition

Module-by-module health records

Every module scanned becomes a documented, comparable record: the baseline evidence that anchors warranty claims, insurance cases, and asset valuations.

When to test

Three moments where EL pays for itself

[ NEW SYSTEM ]

Commissioning and handover

Check for construction and transport mishandling, ensure a defect-free system at COD, and establish baseline documentation before the warranty clock starts.

[ EXISTING SYSTEM ]

Performance recovery

Find the bottleneck behind underperformance, optimise output, support revamping and repowering decisions, and substantiate warranty or insurance claims after storms and hail.

[ OWNERSHIP CHANGE ]

Due diligence and refinancing

Technical due diligence before acquisition, yield improvement planning, and the hard condition data that lenders, insurers and buyers increasingly expect.

How it works

Quantified Labs technology. VersaDrones operations.

EL imaging drone flying over a solar array at night

Autonomous drone EL mapping with AI analytics

Our partner Quantified Labs pioneered patented autonomous drone electroluminescence mapping: thousands of modules imaged per campaign at lab quality, with AI-powered analytics classifying every defect into a digital twin of your plant.

VersaDrones provides the in-country operational layer: licensed pilots, KCAA and national airspace clearances, night-operations planning, and field logistics across Kenya, DRC, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Rwanda.

  • Factory-grade EL inspection performed on-site
  • AI defect classification and digital twin reporting
  • Pairs with thermal thermography for a complete plant health picture
  • Actionable punch lists your O&M team can execute

Scope

Site details, capacity, and the question you need answered.

Clearances

Permits and night-operations approvals handled by us.

EL campaign

Autonomous drone EL capture across the plant.

AI analysis

Every module classified into a digital twin of your site.

Act

Prioritised findings, walked through with your team.

Find the defects your plant is hiding

Tell us your site capacity and location. We'll scope an EL campaign within 48 hours.

Talk to VersaDrones

The fastest way to reach us is WhatsApp: we respond within 48 hours.

Chat on WhatsApp

Or send an official inquiry to info@versadrones.net