Page 13 - North American Clean Energy March/April 2019 Issue

Tim Frank is Vice President of Marketing at Nearmap, which delivers high resolution aerial imagery multiple times per
year. Nearmap provides orthographic (vertical) maps, multi- perspective panoramas, and oblique aerial views, and uploads up-to-date aerial maps to the cloud within days.
Nearmap /// www.nearmap.com
HD aerial imagery can provide both 2-D views, either top-down or orthographic, as well as oblique view angles from all cardinal directions. anks to photo-realistic 3-D data, eld workers can fully immerse themselves in a virtual environment that simulates the impact of shading or other types of solar obstructions. While the imagery from aerial providers is often available in standalone applications, the most exible solutions integrate with fully- featured PV design tools.
Qualifying the Right Projects
Not only does current aerial imagery save solar companies signi cant time (by eliminating a large proportion of on-site visits during the quali cation process), but it also can open up solar
to more customers. Some HD aerial imagery providers update locations every three to four months, which means that changes to a property – a tree added or removed, for example – is readily visible. Out-of-date imagery does not represent details at this level, and can disqualify a candidate for solar. is translates into a signi cant waste of time and money for the solar supplier.
For example, with leaf-on and leaf-off historical HD aerial imagery available to solar companies, projects can be assessed during a shading analysis, making it more efficient to place panels to gain maximum sun reach.
The Wow Factor: Winning the Proposal
By including annotated, high- resolution imagery in proposals, companies can both impress customers, and give them a clear understanding of their project. Imagery also can be used to close
the deal, since potential customers can easily visualize precisely how their home or project will look once installers place the panels.
Aerial Imagery Builds Business
ere’s no question that the use of aerial imagery gives solar companies an edge on their competitors. With vastly improved accuracy and
timeliness of images, solar providers can reduce change orders, improve their quali cation process, and create winning proposals all of which will help build business. is solution saves analyst and installer time, as well as money, so happy customers will recommend your company to others looking for a solar solution.
North American Clean Energy
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