Catch Installation Defects Early
Identify abnormal conditions before the installation is fully handed over to the owner or maintenance team.
COMMISSIONING INSPECTIONS
Verify the Installation Before You Accept the Installation.
ThermaVista provides thermal commissioning inspections for new photovoltaic and electrical installations. Our inspections help owners, EPC contractors, commissioning teams, and facility managers identify abnormal conditions before turnover, establish baseline asset condition, and document findings for corrective action.
New Construction
PV + Electrical Thermography
Punch-List Support
Baseline Documentation
ENERGIZED DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN CORRECT
A New System Can Operate and Still Contain Defects
A newly installed system may energize successfully, communicate with monitoring equipment, and produce power while still containing connection problems, installation defects, module abnormalities, load imbalances, or other conditions that are not apparent during conventional visual inspection.
Thermal inspection adds another layer of verification by observing equipment while it is energized and operating. Abnormal heat patterns can identify areas that deserve additional investigation before project acceptance.
That makes thermography particularly useful near the end of commissioning—when the system is operational, warranties are active, and corrective work is still easier to assign and document.
Visible Inspection
Thermal Inspection
WHY THERMAL COMMISSIONING
Find Problems While Responsibility Is Still Clear
Commissioning inspection is valuable not only because it finds anomalies, but because of when those anomalies are found.
Support Punch-List Closure
Document findings with specific equipment locations and thermal evidence that can be assigned for corrective action.
Protect Warranty Position
Record issues while installation and equipment warranties are still active and responsible parties remain engaged.
Establish a Baseline
Create a documented thermal condition that can be compared against maintenance inspections in future years.
COMMISSIONING SCOPE
One Inspection Program Across the PV and Electrical System
The strongest commissioning program combines aerial PV thermography with ground-based electrical inspection.
PV Array
Aerial thermal inspection can rapidly evaluate large areas of photovoltaic modules under operating conditions.
- Module thermal abnormalities
- Cell and substring hotspots
- String-level differences
- Shading and soiling effects
- Module location documentation
PV Electrical Equipment
Ground inspection can evaluate the balance-of-system equipment that connects the array to the facility electrical system.
- Combiner boxes
- Inverters
- DC disconnects
- AC disconnects
- Terminations and conductors
Distribution Equipment
Electrical thermography can be extended downstream into accessible distribution equipment.
- Switchgear
- Panelboards
- Load centers
- Transformers
- Breakers, fuses, taps, and splices
COMMISSIONING FINDINGS
What Thermal Inspection Can Reveal Before Turnover
| Observation | Possible Condition | Commissioning Value | Typical Follow-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV module hotspot | Cell defect, localized damage, mismatch, shading, or module abnormality | Identify affected modules before project turnover | Module evaluation and warranty review |
| String-level thermal difference | Open circuit, mismatch, shading, or wiring issue | May reveal reduced production not obvious from visual inspection | String current and voltage testing |
| Connector or termination hotspot | High resistance, poor connection, contamination, or installation issue | Supports targeted corrective work prior to acceptance | Qualified electrical evaluation |
| Breaker or fuse heating | Load issue, poor contact, device condition, or connection abnormality | Identifies equipment requiring investigation before handoff | Load verification and electrical testing |
| Phase temperature imbalance | Load imbalance, connection issue, or unequal resistance | Provides evidence for additional electrical verification | Phase loading and connection evaluation |
| Transformer termination heating | High-resistance connection or installation-related issue | Helps identify problems before long-term operation | Electrical inspection and corrective action |
COMMISSIONING WORKFLOW
From Construction Completion to Documented Baseline
Thermal commissioning is most useful when it is integrated into project turnover rather than treated as an isolated inspection.
Review drawings, equipment schedules, asset lists, project scope, and commissioning requirements.
Confirm access, safety requirements, energization status, loading, and environmental conditions.
Capture thermal and visible imagery of PV and electrical assets under suitable operating conditions.
Evaluate abnormal thermal patterns and compare similar components, phases, modules, and equipment.
Document findings with location, imagery, measurements, priority, and recommended follow-up.
Support corrective action and, where required, re-inspect completed repairs or resolved findings.
STANDARDS-ALIGNED INSPECTION
Commissioning Requires the Right Standard for the Right System
IEC TS 62446-3
Provides guidance for outdoor infrared thermography of operating photovoltaic modules and plants, including data acquisition, environmental conditions, equipment, analysis, and reporting.
ANSI/NETA ECS
Provides a commissioning framework for electrical power systems and helps support verification that installed systems meet project requirements and intended operation.
ANSI/NETA ATS
Addresses acceptance testing and inspection used to evaluate newly installed electrical equipment before final acceptance and long-term service.
ThermaVista should describe its services as aligned with or informed by applicable standards unless a specific certification, accreditation, or formal authorization is held.
LONG-TERM VALUE
The First Inspection Makes Future Inspections More Valuable
Without a commissioning baseline, maintenance teams may discover a thermal anomaly years later without knowing whether it is new, stable, or worsening.
Baseline data gives future inspections context.
- Compare temperature differences over time
- Track repeat findings
- Identify developing conditions
- Support maintenance prioritization
- Document post-repair condition
- Build a defensible asset-condition history
COMMISSIONING DELIVERABLES
Documentation Designed for Project Closeout
ThermaVista commissioning reports are structured so findings can be reviewed by the owner, EPC, commissioning team, electrician, equipment manufacturer, or O&M provider.
- Executive summary
- Inspection scope and methodology
- Site and equipment identification
- Environmental and operating conditions
- Thermal and visible-light imagery
- Temperature and ΔT measurements
- Finding descriptions
- Priority classifications
- Corrective-action recommendations
- Findings register
- Baseline record for future comparison
TH-018 — AC Termination Thermal Anomaly
Example commissioning finding
System
PV Inverter
Equipment
Inverter 03
Component
L2 AC Termination
Observation
Localized abnormal heating
Example ΔT
12.8°C
Priority
P2 — Investigate
Status
Open Punch-List Item
Recommended Follow-Up
Qualified electrical evaluation
PROJECT VALUE
Better Project Handover. Better Long-Term Asset Data.
Reduce Closeout Risk
Identify unresolved conditions before the project transitions from construction responsibility to owner responsibility.
Improve Punch Lists
Provide specific locations, images, and findings rather than vague descriptions of suspected problems.
Support Warranty Claims
Create time-stamped evidence while equipment and installation warranties remain active.
Improve Owner Confidence
Provide independent documentation that the operating system was inspected after energization.
Accelerate Troubleshooting
Direct electrical and O&M teams to the exact components that warrant further investigation.
Establish Maintenance History
Start the asset's thermal condition record at commissioning rather than years later.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Commissioning Support Across Southern California
ThermaVista is based in North County and provides commissioning thermography throughout:
- San Diego County
- Orange County
- Riverside County
Typical projects include commercial rooftops, solar carports, schools, municipal facilities, industrial sites, commercial campuses, and distributed-generation installations.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Commissioning Inspection FAQ
When should the thermal commissioning inspection be performed?
The inspection should generally occur after the system has been energized and can operate under meaningful load. For PV systems, suitable solar irradiance and environmental conditions are also required for useful thermal evaluation.
Does a successful startup mean the system does not need thermal inspection?
No. Equipment may energize and operate while still containing connection issues, load imbalances, module abnormalities, or other conditions that are not apparent during startup or visual inspection.
Can thermal findings be used on a project punch list?
Yes. Thermal findings can be documented with equipment identification, location, visible imagery, infrared imagery, temperature data, and recommended follow-up so they can be assigned and tracked through project closeout.
Can ThermaVista verify repairs after corrective work?
Yes. Re-inspection can be used to document post-repair thermal condition when the equipment can be safely operated under suitable load and inspection conditions.
Is commissioning thermography only for solar projects?
No. Thermography can support commissioning of a wide range of electrical systems, including switchgear, transformers, panelboards, disconnects, distribution equipment, inverters, and other energized electrical assets.
What is the difference between commissioning and maintenance thermography?
Commissioning thermography evaluates newly installed or newly modified equipment and establishes initial condition. Maintenance thermography evaluates equipment already in service and is often used to detect deterioration or compare conditions over time.
REQUEST AN INSPECTION
Find the Heat Before It Becomes the Failure.
Contact ThermaVista for commissioning, maintenance, or targeted electrical thermography throughout San Diego, Orange, and Riverside Counties.