UK solar aerial inspection and data analytics company Above acquires German drone start-up ucair

The UK aerial inspection and data analytics company Above Surveying (Above) acquires the German drone start-up ucair GmbH. The acquisition increases the reach of Europe’s leading solar aerial inspection and data analytics company to the German market and strengthens its presence in other European countries.

It is now well established that thermography provided by drones is the most efficient way of analysing the health of large-scale solar assets. The latest advances in component efficiency, manufacturing and construction have enabled solar photovoltaics to be deployed around the world at huge scale, subsidy-free and faster than ever before. This has allowed asset owners, managers and operations and maintenance (O&M) companies to quickly expand their portfolios across multiple territories and in turn, multiplying the amount of health and monitoring data being collected.

Ucair and Above have been anticipating the digital transformation needed in the solar industry and have both invested heavily into the automation of their analysis process but more importantly into digitalisation and data mining.

Will Hitchcock, CEO and founder of Above said:

“Digitalisation and automation of solar inspections will play a fundamental role in the increasing deployment of utility scale-solar. Above is strongly positioned to scale its reach across the globe and accelerate its ambition to be the leading aerial inspection and data analytics company thanks to its advances in the automation of aerial inspections. Together we will draw on our market knowledge to strengthen our service offering and software capabilities.”

Above and ucair have collaborated over the past two years helping to improve standards within the sector, which concluded in working with Solar Power Europe on the Solar Aerial Thermography Best Practices Mark.

ucair CEO Viola Hoffmann said:

“We have shared an understanding of superior quality and service from the very beginning of our friendly relationship. This has made the union of the two companies a logical next step.”

Ucair was founded in early 2017, and quickly developed into a Germany-wide drone pilot network for the inspection of small rooftop systems. After a reorientation at the beginning of 2018,ucair established itself as a leading company for thermographic inspections for large solar parks in the German market.

Jochen Wolf, Investment Director at the Innogy Innovation Hub said:

“It has been a very interesting time since the foundation of ucair till today. It was great to see how quickly ucair established itself as a player in the German market. I’m happy that ucair has found a partner in Above which will enable growth on all levels.”

###

About Above Surveying

Above is the solar industry’s leading aerial solar inspection and data analysis company. Specialising in the delivery of IEC-compliant thermal inspections of large scale solar plants, visual spectrum inspections of solar farms and drone-based 3D topographical mapping and modelling.

For more information, visit: www.abovesurveying.com

Press contact (UK)
Sarah Jacobs
Marketing Assistant
t: +44 (0) 1206 483 043
e: [email protected]

Press Release provided by Above Surveying. Photo credit: © Above Surveying.