PUBLISHER: IMARC | PRODUCT CODE: 1635930
PUBLISHER: IMARC | PRODUCT CODE: 1635930
The global solar-powered UAV market size reached USD 401.0 Million in 2024. Looking forward, IMARC Group expects the market to reach USD 867.3 Million by 2033, exhibiting a growth rate (CAGR) of 8.5% during 2025-2033. The increasing demand for drone services for various commercial applications and extensive research and development (R&D) activities are primarily driving the market growth.
Solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) refers to high-altitude pseudo-satellites or drones specially designed to receive power directly from the sun for performing continuous stratospheric operations for a longer duration. It can be operated autonomously without any human intervention even from a remote location by utilizing limitless propulsion systems. It further comprises a range of solar-powered cells that are unified with the vehicle to capture solar energy during the day and generate and recharge the battery on board to provide power in nighttime flights. As compared to traditional UAVs, it offers better stability, higher flight altitude, larger coverage area, and superior load capacity. Along with this, it provides environmental protection, improves employee safety, monitors ecological damages, and minimizes the need for human transportation procedures. As a result, the solar-powered UAV finds extensive application in the surveillance and rescue operations, pollution monitoring, disaster management, attack missions, and intelligence-gathering operations.
The increasing demand for drone services for various commercial applications, including resource exploration and climate monitoring, represents a prime factor driving the market growth. In line with this, significant improvements in the military and defense sector and the recent development of UAV drones for asset management and performing dangerous battlefield surveillance operations are acting as another growth-inducing factor. This is further supported by the favorable investments being made by the governments of different nations to enhance their military capabilities. Additionally, the extensive usage of solar-powered UAVs in the agricultural sector over traditional surveying methodologies to analyze crop growth, climatic conditions, spray fertilizers, and track soil conditions is favoring the market growth. Solar-powered UAVs are further employed to assess the ecological damage and active risks, perform weather forecasting, and minimize the adverse effects of potential danger in the mining industry to improve workers safety, which is supporting the market growth. Moreover, the escalating usage of photovoltaic (PV) cells and hybrid-electric propulsion engines to improve the vessel performance at lower maintenance costs is propelling the market growth. Apart from this, significant technological advancements, such as the integration of image-transmitting systems and strategic collaborations amongst key players, are positively impacting the market growth.
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