Environmental monitoring has become an urgent task in recent years in connection with the deterioration of the environmental situation caused by industrialization [1]. Usually, manned vessels with measuring equipment and personnel serving it on board were used for these purposes, but with the development of technology, full automation of this process became possible. The problem of the need to use human resources is solved by applying an autonomous vessel control system. However, the big problem remains, which is the need to refuel the vessel in connection with the finite amount of stored energy. This problem is solved by using renewable energy, an example of which is solar energy, on measuring platforms. This article will discuss methods for developing platforms controlled by the autopilot and using solar energy, using the Cadet-M platform as an example.