KELLY PICKEREL
S O F T WA R E
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Solar tech flies high as DRONES aid in site assessment
AFTER
BEFORE
As in all industries, the best technology emerges as improved ways of doing tried-and-true processes. Trackers allow panels to follow the sun and generate more power. Microinverters boost system performance and pinpoint problems. These technologies have pushed the solar industry into the future. Now solar software is getting in on the action by providing a faster, more accurate way to perform on-site assessments. Drone-assisted 3D mapping just may be the next generation of solar assessment, and software developer Scanifly is looking to
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LEFT: The before shot shows the point cloud data Scanifly acquired in the field using Flydar, while the second photo shows the final 3D model processed through Scanifly3D.
11 • 2016
lead the industry into new, more accurately mapped territory. This January, Scanifly will release drone hardware and 3D mapping software to U.S. solar installers interested in solving two main problems: inefficient, inaccurate on-site assessments and lengthy project timelines. The on-site assessment process has changed little since the solar industry’s inception. Scanifly CEO and founder John Novak said a thorough residential site assessment can take about 20 minutes per roof, while a commercial site assessment can take a few days. Both require someone to climb onto a roof to measure obstructions and use (what Novak calls) monopolized and outdated shading analysis tools. Then the
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11/8/16 4:15 PM