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Drone Solar Panel Inspection: A Case Study on PCL Construction
Technology Category
- Drones - Drone Payloads & Accessories
- Drones - Multirotor Drones
Applicable Industries
- Cement
- Renewable Energy
Applicable Functions
- Maintenance
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Agricultural Drones
- Computer Vision
Services
- Drone Operation Services
- Testing & Certification
The Challenge
PCL Construction, one of the largest construction companies in Canada and the United States, faced a significant challenge when it came to drone data capture for solar construction projects. The company's existing quadcopters and multirotors were not sufficient for the task due to the repetitive and demanding nature of solar field construction projects. These projects required reliable data for daily monitoring, which the existing drones could not provide. The construction of solar fields happens in 'waves,' with production teams driving more than a thousand piles a day and module crews placing five times as many solar panels in the same timeframe. This fast-paced, large-scale construction offered a limited view from the ground, making drone data crucial. However, the company needed a dependable workflow and a processing engine that could deliver orthomosaics to the superintendent every night.
The Customer
PCL Construction
About The Customer
PCL Construction is the largest construction company in Canada and one of the largest in the United States. The company has built its reputation on the simple premise of building success for its clients. PCL Construction takes on projects of varying sizes and scopes, bringing to life the goals of their customers through an innovative approach. Drone data has become integral to their operations, especially for solar construction projects. These projects range in size from small to massive, and once construction gets underway on the larger fields, it happens at a breakneck speed, making drone data all the more valuable.
The Solution
To address this challenge, PCL Construction upgraded their drone technology from the 20 MP Sony QX1 payload to the RX1R II. The company flies two GEN I WingtraOne drones, which provide a 'snapshot in time' of the construction progress. This allows the team to see how things are progressing with a historical series of images, making the project more efficient. The drones capture a moment in time, rather than a puzzle of moments under varying lighting and weather conditions. The team uses the data for different solar project inspection objectives, including volume calculations, progress tracking, and surface comparisons. To do this most efficiently, PCL partnered with AI Clearing, a technology company that rapidly incorporates design and drone data into project insights through visually rich dashboards. The WingtraOne drones have proven to be a more efficient solution, capable of capturing the same amount of data in one hour that would take an entire day with a large multirotor.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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