Drones Detect Faults in Vietnam’s 45k‑Panel Solar

Drones are already checking 45,000 rooftop panels in Ho Chi Minh City

The 28 MWp rooftop solar farm on Samsung Electronics’ HCMC CE complex – made up of roughly 45,000 solar modules – is now being inspected by autonomous drones equipped with an “all‑seeing eye” system. The drones fly over the array, capture high‑resolution imagery, and instantly flag hot‑spots, soiled panels or mechanical damage for rapid repair.

How the "all‑seeing eye" works

The inspection platform combines CCTV‑grade cameras, infrared sensors and AI‑driven image analysis. When a cloud cover thickens, the system automatically disconnects the panels from the building’s load and feeds the electricity straight into the national grid, preventing voltage dips. The same AI engine then compares each image to a library of defect signatures, sending alerts to maintenance crews within minutes. This approach significantly reduces inspection time compared with traditional methods.

Scale of the rooftop solar project

The HCMC CE complex hosts 45,000 PV modules delivering 28 MWp – the largest rooftop solar installation in Vietnam to date. It is fully financed, built, operated and maintained by TotalEnergies ENEOS under a 20‑year power‑purchase agreement. With Vietnam’s total grid‑connected rooftop capacity reported at 17 GW as of November 2025, this single plant represents roughly 0.16 % of the nation’s rooftop solar stock – a modest share that nonetheless showcases how quickly large‑scale rooftop projects are scaling.

Drone inspection market is booming globally

The worldwide market for drone‑based inspection was valued at US$16.4 billion in 2024 and is projected to more than double to US$38.2 billion by 2030. Within that, the solar‑inspection niche grew from US$516 million in 2018 to over US$1 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of about 14 %. These figures underline why operators in fast‑growing markets like Vietnam are adopting the technology early.

Why Vietnam needs smarter maintenance

Vietnam’s solar boom – 18.66 GW installed in 2024 and a forecast of 45.9 GW by 2033 – is creating a maintenance challenge. Panels degrade faster in the hot, humid climate, and manual inspections are costly and time‑consuming. Drone‑based monitoring offers a scalable solution that preserves output, protects investment, and aligns with the country’s renewable‑energy targets of 20 % by 2025 and 30 % by 2030.

What it means for Israel

Israeli homeowners installing a typical 10 kWp rooftop system in the central region generate about 17,000 kWh per year. At the residential feed‑in tariff of ₪0.48/kWh, that electricity is worth roughly ₪8,160 annually. With a turnkey cost of ₪3,150 per kWp, the system costs ₪31,500 to install, delivering a simple payback of about 3.9 years. If Israeli installers adopted drone inspections similar to Vietnam’s, the early detection of shading, soiling or hot‑spots could shave a few percent off the degradation curve, extending the economic life of panels and improving overall ROI.

Looking ahead

As Vietnam pushes toward a 30 % renewable mix, the combination of large‑scale rooftop solar and AI‑driven drone inspections will become a template for other emerging markets. For Israel, the lesson is clear: leveraging autonomous inspection can protect the financial returns of rooftop solar, especially as the nation seeks to meet its own 2030 renewable target.

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Sources & further reading

• Vietnam Solar Energy Market Report | Growth Analysis, Size & Industry...
• Mapping Vietnam's rooftop solar landscape with machine learning
• Vietnam Solar Rooftop and Energy Leasing Market Size USD 780 Mn...
• Vietnam Solar Market Size, Trends, Growth | Forecast Till 2033
• Vietnam Solar Energy Market Size, and Industry Forecast 2035