• Posted: April 7, 2023
• Burcin Kaplanoglu, drone technology, Elbert Walters III, electrical construction technology, Episode 4, John Weir, Kelso-Burnett, Oracle Industry Labs, The Power of Better

It’s a bird, it’s a plane,.. No, it’s a drone. As contractors aim to increase efficiency and decrease project costs, drones are becoming commonplace at construction sites. The latest episode of The Power of Better brings viewers to Oracle Industry Lab in Deerfield, IL and to the site of a commercial project to see how drones are changing the electrical construction industry.

“Investing in advanced technology such as robotics and drones creates the potential to change the way we navigate job sites forever,” said the host of The Power of Better and Executive Director of Powering Chicago, Elbert Walters III. “From counting inventory on hand to being able to detect problems on medium and high voltage power lines, drones can change the way we see construction.”

Using drones to synchronize technology and construction

Walters meets with Burcin Kaplanoglu, the Vice President of Innovation at Oracle Industry Labs, a state-of-the-art testing ground for the next generation of technology concepts. During the visit, Kaplanoglu introduces Walters to new drone technologies and ways that they’re being used to improve job site safety, collect data more effectively, check the health of electrical systems and more.

“For electrical, it is really wide range. It could be utilities, it could be any plant that actually generates power. A lot of use cases related to construction but also for maintenance and operations,” said Kaplanoglu.

In the episode, Kaplanoglu zones in on the drone’s ability to assess electrical systems, decreasing the necessity for electricians to put themselves in potentially dangerous situations.

“This is also a very safe way to do it because there is no human close to that equipment. It’s energized so you’re keeping people away from it and letting the machine do the job,” said Kaplanoglu.

How contractors are using drones for commercial projects

The team then links up with John Weir, Vice President at Kelso-Burnett, to see how drone technology is being used to survey a rooftop for a photovoltaic (PV), or solar, installation.

“We can fly the drone around the building and through artificial intelligence (AI), create a 3D model, we can do shading analysis,” said Weir. “They can get a really good visual of what those panels will look like on their house.”

With drones becoming less expensive, Weir says that he can’t afford not to use them

“If implemented appropriately, it should reduce cost. The end result in all of this is a streamlined process,” said Weir.

If you’re interested in learning more about how drones can be used to better the electrical construction industry, check out the latest episode of The Power of Better. While you’re there, be sure to subscribe to Powering Chicago’s YouTube channel to make sure you don’t miss an episode.