VisualAI: Optimizing Solar Power with AI-Driven Analytics
As the world shifts toward renewable energy, the efficiency of large-scale solar plants has become a critical challenge. Thousands of solar panels spread across vast areas are prone to dust, shadows, and cell defects that significantly reduce power output. Jaspreet Makkar, the Founder of VisualAI (and pioneer of WeDoSky), is using a potent mix of drones and Artificial Intelligence to solve this problem, ensuring that every ray of sunshine is converted into the maximum possible energy.
The Early Spark: From Hobby to Enterprise
Jaspreet's entrepreneurial journey didn't start in a boardroom but in his childhood home. He recalls "breaking TVs" to understand how they worked, a curiosity that eventually led him to study electronics and communications engineering at Jaypee Institute of Information Technology. Unlike many graduates who seek the security of a corporate job, Jaspreet was determined to build something of his own right out of college.
His first venture, WeDoSky, was among India's first commercial drone application companies. While it started with property surveys, Jaspreet quickly identified a massive "unsolved problem" in the renewable energy sector: the lack of efficient operations and maintenance (O&M) for solar assets.
The Technology: AI in the Skies
Solar plants are often located in remote, dusty environments. Traditional manual inspections are slow, inaccurate, and dangerous. VisualAI's solution uses drones equipped with thermal sensors to capture high-resolution imagery of solar farms. Their proprietary AI software then processes this data to identify hotspots, cracks, or even simple dust accumulation that humans might miss.
The VisualAI Edge
VisualAI's analytics platform provides a unified decision-making pipeline by:
- Identifying Defects: Detecting cell failures and bypass diode issues using thermal imaging.
- Dust & Soiling Analysis: Quantifying energy loss due to dust to optimize cleaning schedules.
- Shadow Analysis: Mapping nearby obstructions that impact generation.
- Actionable Insights: Translating complex data into simple reports for O&M teams.
Building a Team of Passionate Problem Solvers
For Jaspreet, the secret sauce of VisualAI isn't just the code—it's the people. He believes that a startup's first few members must be "insanely passionate" about the problem they are solving. "You need people who have that energy... who are not just looking for a 9-to-5 job," he notes. This passion was crucial during the early bootstrapping phase, where the team had to convince large energy producers to trust a young startup's technology.
Market Impact
- Adoption: Successfully onboarded a substantial portion of India's solar asset owners.
- Efficiency: Helping plants increase energy yield by up to 5-10% through precise analytics.
- Scalability: Managing utility-scale energy efficiency across massive geographies.
Overcoming Market Resistance
The renewable energy sector, particularly in India, can be hesitant to adopt new technologies. Jaspreet faced the dual challenge of educating the market and proving the ROI of his solutions. "The biggest challenge was the resistance to new technology... people were very cautious," he shares. By focusing on customer satisfaction and delivering tangible results, VisualAI turned cautious skeptics into long-term partners.
Jaspreet's Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
- Understand Your Limitations: Know what you are good at and where you need help.
- Choose Your Team Wisely: Passion and chemistry between founders are more important than skill sets alone.
- Focus on ROI: Build products that solve real, financial problems for your customers.
- Stay Lean: Learn to build and validate your product before seeking heavy investment.
A Mission for Global Energy Efficiency
VisualAI has already evolved into Futr Energy, reflecting a broader vision of energy efficiency. Jaspreet aims to manage utility-scale energy assets globally, providing a "Remote Monitoring & Deep Learning" infrastructure that sets industry standards. His journey from a drone enthusiast to a Forbes 30 Under 30 leader is a testament to the power of applying cutting-edge tech to traditional sectors.