The Japanese solar power market has transitioned from the “construction phase” to the “operation and maintenance (O&M) phase.” In addition, due to an aging population and declining birthrate, traditional manual inspections are no longer sufficient to meet the O&M demands of a large number of solar sites. Platform technologies that integrate drones with AI-based analysis are becoming the mainstream solution in the market. For solar power investors and O&M operators, this is an ideal time to adopt such technologies to improve long-term power generation performance and reduce operational risks. Smart Solar O&M Thermal Drone Inspection: An integrated solution combining automated drone operations, AI and expert analysis, and a cloud-based visualization reporting system. The technology has been well recognized by Japanese partners. A field demonstration was successfully completed in Hokkaido in October 2025, with market deployment planned to begin in 2026.