Measuring sunroofs with drones is up to four times faster than the traditional method

Services

Business opportunity scan

Business solution

Business validation

Business implementation

Support & Maintenance

Due to the increasing demand for solar panels, more and more solar panels have to be installed. It can be a time intensive process to deliver a CAD drawing for the solar panel installation. Our drones can do this for you in less than 10 minutes.
4x
Due to the increasing speed, compared to current methods, roofs can be mapped and processed up to four times faster.
25%+
The drone sees all the shadows, which makes it possible to map out where the most sun is.
90%
Up to 90% more insight through 3D models, obstacles on the roof and possible shadows are very well visible.
Problem description
Case study

Problem

A growing demand for sunroofs is now well known. In order to meet this demand, more people need to be hired who can measure these roofs. Our client was looking for a solution to process more sunroofs in one day. For this purpose, we were able to offer him the right drone with software, which allows us to work up to four times faster and thus provide many more measurements in one day.

Solution

Customdrone has proven, with several customers across the country, that drones with 3Dscan software can do it faster and better. The drone flies over the roof within minutes. Next, an AutoCAD drawing is extracted. You can then see where to place the solar panels. Also shadows and possible obstacles on the roof can be mapped.

Approach

Customdrone has worked in a short period of time to deliver a fully operational solution for measuring roofs for the installation of solar panels.

PHASE 1 Customer question / knowledge session

This phase focuses on putting together the right hardware and software for the specific client and situation. By equipping different drones with different cameras and sensors it becomes clear what the best combination is for each case and client. This depends on their desires, requirements, budget, system requirements and the environment in which to fly. Because of our years of experience in this market we know the best independent solution.

Phase 2 training and data collection

The current employees within the organisations are trained to become drone pilots, allowing them to work internally and act quickly on various projects. The employees then get the right drone papers and extra flight training in practice. The employees can then know exactly how to collect the right data. After this phase, the data collection and processing in AutoCAD will be examined, allowing the employees to carry out the entire process independently.

PHASE 3 Procedure

Before we proceed to roll out, we work out the business case together with the client. In doing so, we also highlight, for example, operational and cultural consequences. How do we ensure that a new employee learns to rely on a drone? And what does this mean for the organisation?

see better
More insights into the roofs and technical drawings

Simply measuring a roof in a few minutes results in a working drawing, that's it. There are no more people on the roof.

The 3D scan from the drone gives us a clear picture of the location. Also insights into all possible obstacles, along with shadow and sun positions. You can then know where most of the sun comes from for the ideal yield of the panels. After the scan, it can be processed in various software packages: including AutoCAD.

After each flight, the drone charts the following points.

  • Dimensions of the roof and possible surroundings
  • Data for the installation of solar panels via, for example, AutoCAD
  • Additional information that may be sent to the customer
  • Shadows and obstacles on the roofs

know faster
The scans work up to 4x faster.

Because the scans work up to four times faster, there are far more results yielded than with current methods. This allows you to map out the situation much faster, and with a lot more data and extra input, so that you can discuss with your client where the solar panels need to be installed.

GET MORE
More energy, more data  

More yield from correctly placed panels, more data and information about the roof and surrounding obstacles and you need fewer people for the same yield. The drone ensures that your project success rate will be even higher and that the men who install the solar panels will not be surprised. In addition, at all times you can look back at the 3D model which can eventually be sent to the end user or client. This can be done with any photos, a 3D model or a CAD drawing with the right dimensions.

  • With the drone you won't stand still in one location for more than 30 minutes.
  • The drone data can be transferred quickly and easily to, for example, an AutoCAD drawing.
  • More roofs can be measured in one day
  • Anyone can learn within a few hours of training
4x
Due to the increasing speed, compared to current methods, roofs can be mapped and processed up to four times faster.
25%+
The drone sees all the shadows, which makes it possible to map out where the most sun is.
90%
Up to 90% more insight through 3D models, obstacles on the roof and possible shadows are very well visible.

Related knowledge articles

Read more about the know-how we have applied in the knowledge base. The articles below tell you more about the content of the cases.