In the US alone, there are currently over 180,000 licensed drones, and the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) predicts that by 2022, there will be over 500,000 more. Drones are everywhere, and many businesses are starting to take advantage of them.  Drones are taking amazing photos and videos in high definition for Realtors. They are inspecting buildings and bridges. They are delivering life saving medical devices and so much more.

Drone developers continue to make amazing progress. Drone are being equipped with higher resolution cameras and more powerful batteries allowing for longer flight times. Drones offer a more effective and cheaper way to monitor industrial infrastructure as opposed to traditional methods that either took too long, cost too much, or put workers in danger.

Today, grid companies are turning to drones to spot faults or overgrown foliage in the transmission and distribution lines all over the US. Monitoring tree and plant overgrowth is particularly important in hot, dry regions that are increasingly prone to fire. A good example is the Northern California area where PG&E Corp owes over 17 billion in liabilities as a result of the wine county fires from 2017. Drones also came in handy when Duke Energy Corp was restoring power lines after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico that left over 80% of the island without power.

Drones equipped with monitors can be used to detect methane leaks in gas and oil pipelines at a thousand times the accuracy of older methods which were normally inspected by hand and took countless hours. Drones could potentially save oil companies millions in losses from leaks or fires. For maximum benefits however, experts recommend drone operations to be handled in-house as opposed to outsourcing the job. Even though the initial costs of purchasing the drones and pilot training may be high, the in-house option has better economics in the long run vs hiring a third party service.

As drone technology improves, their services and capabilities will also improve. With enhanced sensors, probes, and arms, drones can be used for many tasks such as fixing minor issues in wind turbines, clearing overgrown foliage, or defending assets from intruders. All these benefits have made drones a necessity for companies looking to improve their operations and stay ahead of their competition.