Wingtra Case Studies Drone Solar Panel Inspection: A Case Study on PCL Construction

Edit This Case Study Record

	Drone Solar Panel Inspection: A Case Study on PCL Construction Wingtra

Drone Solar Panel Inspection: A Case Study on PCL Construction

Wingtra

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
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. Read More
About 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. Read More
Customer Name	PCL Construction Read More
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. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

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

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.

About 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.

Customer Name

PCL Construction

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.

Impact #1	The use of WingtraOne drones has revolutionized PCL Construction's approach to solar panel inspection. The drones provide a comprehensive view of the construction site, allowing the team to identify areas that have been left behind and where production is taking place. This has significantly improved the efficiency of the construction process. The drones also provide a 'snapshot in time,' enabling the team to track progress through a historical series of images. This has proven to be a valuable tool for project management. Furthermore, the partnership with AI Clearing has allowed PCL to rapidly incorporate design and drone data into project insights, providing a visually rich dashboard that aids in decision-making. Overall, the use of WingtraOne drones has enhanced PCL Construction's ability to manage large-scale solar construction projects effectively.

Impact #1

The use of WingtraOne drones has revolutionized PCL Construction's approach to solar panel inspection. The drones provide a comprehensive view of the construction site, allowing the team to identify areas that have been left behind and where production is taking place. This has significantly improved the efficiency of the construction process. The drones also provide a 'snapshot in time,' enabling the team to track progress through a historical series of images. This has proven to be a valuable tool for project management. Furthermore, the partnership with AI Clearing has allowed PCL to rapidly incorporate design and drone data into project insights, providing a visually rich dashboard that aids in decision-making. Overall, the use of WingtraOne drones has enhanced PCL Construction's ability to manage large-scale solar construction projects effectively.

Benefit #1	PCL Construction has logged nearly 200 hours of flight time with the WingtraOne drones.
Benefit #2	The WingtraOne drones can capture the same amount of data in one hour that would take an entire day with a large multirotor.
Benefit #3	The company takes on solar projects that range in size, 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.

Benefit #1

PCL Construction has logged nearly 200 hours of flight time with the WingtraOne drones.

Benefit #2

The WingtraOne drones can capture the same amount of data in one hour that would take an entire day with a large multirotor.

Benefit #3

The company takes on solar projects that range in size, 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.

Download PDF Version

Overview

Drone Solar Panel Inspection: A Case Study on PCL Construction

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit