Dallas–Fort Worth: 100 Drone Rooftop Thermal Inspections
How Raad successfully completed 100 drone rooftop thermal inspections in Dallas–Fort Worth, involving 200 flights within weeks using a network of 2,000+ US pilots.
Read More →This case study details how Raad successfully completed 55 commercial solar array inspections in Minnesota in under two weeks. The client, a large solar technology company, required infrared inspections under specific conditions, including high solar irradiance and real-time panel tilting.
The Challenge
A major solar technology company needed comprehensive thermal inspections across 55 commercial solar installations throughout Minnesota. The complexity of this project went beyond standard solar inspections—each site required:
- Condition-Specific Timing: Flights had to occur during periods of high solar irradiance to accurately detect thermal anomalies
- Real-Time Coordination: Panel tilting had to be coordinated with flight operations to ensure optimal capture angles
- Weather Dependencies: Clear skies and specific temperature conditions were required for accurate thermal readings
- Tight Timeline: All 55 sites needed to be completed within a two-week window
Traditional inspection approaches would have struggled to meet these requirements, especially given the geographic spread of sites across Minnesota and the narrow weather windows available.
The Solution
Raad's solution involved using its platform to manage sites, scheduling flights during optimal weather conditions, leveraging its network of over 2,000 US pilots for local coverage, and implementing a strict QC workflow.
Key Components:
- Centralized Site Management: All 55 sites were tracked and coordinated through Raad's platform, enabling real-time visibility into project status
- Weather-Optimized Scheduling: Flights were dynamically scheduled based on weather forecasts to maximize the number of sites captured during optimal conditions
- Local Pilot Network: Minnesota-based pilots were assigned to nearby sites, reducing travel time and enabling rapid response to weather windows
- Standardized Protocols: All pilots followed identical thermal imaging parameters to ensure data consistency across all sites
- Multi-Layer QC: Every thermal dataset underwent automated checks for proper exposure, coverage, and thermal calibration, followed by manual review