How Bluefield Cut Troubleshooting Time from Weeks to Minutes with Sitemark

Bluefield, a leading solar operations and maintenance (O&M) provider in the UK, manages a portfolio of large solar assets across the country. With increasing pressure on resources, tight schedules, and growing asset sizes, the team needed a more reliable and efficient way to identify defects, streamline field interventions, and stay ahead of warranty deadlines.

After evaluating multiple drone survey providers, Bluefield chose to consolidate all solar drone thermography inspections with Sitemark, citing superior service quality, faster turnaround, and a more collaborative partnership. By combining Sitemark's thermography platform with the Field Link mobile app, Bluefield replaced fragmented workflows and manual coordination with a centralized, data-driven approach.

The result: hidden defects uncovered, weeks of troubleshooting avoided, and improved coordination across more than 70 solar sites—all with a single trusted partner.

“Sitemark stood out in terms of the overall experience. It became a natural decision to centralize everything with them.”

The Challenge

Before consolidating with Sitemark, Bluefield faced several obstacles that limited visibility and slowed down field operations across their expanding portfolio:

Limited Visibility Across Large-Scale Sites

With some sites containing over 20,000 modules and no string-level monitoring, detecting issues like offline strings, broken modules, or localized defects through routine patrols alone was nearly impossible.

Fragmented Workflows Across Multiple Providers

Bluefield initially split drone surveys across multiple providers, which introduced coordination overhead, inconsistent report formats, and variable delivery times. Managing multiple relationships added friction without adding value.

Manual, time-consuming field coordination

Directing engineers to specific issues relied on paper maps, manual task assignment, and guesswork—unsustainable for a small team managing dozens of sites.

Reactive warranty management

Without clear visibility into defects and their root causes, the team struggled to submit warranty claims proactively before coverage expired.

These challenges made it difficult to maintain speed, clarity, and consistency as Bluefield's portfolio continued to grow.

The Solution

After comparing providers, Bluefield selected Sitemark as their sole inspection and field coordination partner—consolidating all thermography under one platform and one relationship.

Full-Site Thermography Inspections

Sitemark's drone-based thermal inspections gave Bluefield complete visibility across every module—turning massive sites into clear, prioritized action lists. Reports helped the team identify defects faster, understand root causes, and communicate findings to stakeholders with confidence.

“There are over 20,000 modules on some sites — you’re not going to see everything just by driving past. The thermography reports give visibility we simply didn’t have before.”

Actionable Insights for Faster Decisions

The platform's visual reports allowed Bluefield's engineers to quickly pinpoint issues such as damaged modules, underperforming inverters, or offline strings. This made it easier to identify true root causes of underperformance and prioritize repairs that directly impacted energy yield.

Field Link: Mobile-First Field Coordination

Instead of relying on paper maps and manual tasking, Bluefield adopted Field Link—Sitemark's mobile app for field operations. The app transformed how technicians work on-site:

• Digital ticketing replaces manual task assignment
• GPS navigation guides technicians directly to each issue
• Integrated capture records photos and serial numbers in one place
• Real-time tracking gives office and field teams shared visibility on progress

“It’s made a very difficult job much easier. Sitemark’s Field Link solution allows us to coordinate so much more efficiently with the limited time and resources we have.”

Responsive Support and Operational Flexibility

Sitemark adapted seamlessly to Bluefield's evolving needs—whether scheduling extra flights, prioritizing warranty-related inspections, or adjusting timelines mid-season. The team's responsiveness reinforced Bluefield's decision to consolidate.

“They always have time to listen and respond. It feels like working with a small, attentive team — even though they’re a large company.”

Results

By consolidating with Sitemark, Bluefield transformed how they manage inspections and field operations across their portfolio.

Hidden Defects Uncovered

On a 50 MW site, thermography revealed approximately 200 broken modules—many of which would never have been spotted through normal patrols. Patterns emerged, such as modules damaged along a roadside, likely caused by passing tractors spraying stones.

Benefit: Bluefield could now address previously invisible losses and begin recovering site performance.

Troubleshooting Time Dramatically Reduced

On a site with underperforming inverters, Sitemark's thermal report pinpointed the root cause within minutes—avoiding what would have been an estimated two weeks of manual on-site string testing.

“Minutes of looking at the report instead of two weeks on site.”

Benefit: Engineering resources redirected to higher-value work instead of time-consuming diagnostics.

Proactive Warranty Management

With clear visual evidence and organized data, Bluefield can now identify defects tied to upcoming warranty deadlines and submit claims proactively—before coverage expires.

Benefit: Reduced risk of missed warranty claims and stronger positioning in discussions with manufacturers.

Faster Communication With Asset Managers

Asset managers frequently request explanations for underperformance. Using Sitemark reports, Bluefield can now respond in minutes—highlighting the affected inverter or string, visualizing the issue, and providing evidence directly.

Benefit: Less back-and-forth, faster resolution, and improved stakeholder confidence.

Better Field Coordination for a Lean Team

Using Sitemark’s Field Link solution, Bluefield efficiently coordinates activities across more than 70 sites. Task assignment is clearer, technicians receive accurate coordinates, and progress is tracked digitally.

Benefit: A lean team can now operate at scale without adding headcount.

Conclusion

Faced with growing operational demands, warranty deadlines, and limited engineering resources, Bluefield chose Sitemark as its trusted inspection and field coordination partner.

Sitemark's thermography reports and Field Link mobile app now play an essential role in improving visibility, prioritizing repairs, and enabling fast, data-driven decision-making across dozens of solar sites.

By simplifying both office and field workflows, Sitemark helps Bluefield deliver more proactive, efficient, and scalable O&M, even in a resource-constrained environment.