Client Problem
In 2018, a global energy giant acquired a portfolio of roughly 1.9 GW of solar assets across the United States, from Mississippi and Tennessee to Colorado. Six years later, nearly half of the portfolio was no longer producing at full capacity. The client suspected widespread underperformance but lacked the data to determine which assets were affected and why.
The mandate was to collect RGB and thermal orthomosaics for 800 MW across 57 locations in 8 states.
The challenges were significant:
Airspace: Many of the sites sat within or adjacent to military airspace, requiring special Certificates of Authorization (COAs) and coordination with base representatives.
Insurance: As a multinational entity, the client required aviation insurance coverage far exceeding standard pilot policies.
Coordination: Each location had a different on-site representative who needed to be contacted to confirm site readiness and energization.
Insurance: As a multinational entity, the client required aviation insurance coverage far exceeding standard pilot policies.
Coordination: Each location had a different on-site representative who needed to be contacted to confirm site readiness and energization.
Raad Solution
Raad approached the engagement as a national-scale operation, combining compliance rigor, advanced planning, and a deeply integrated pilot network to deliver actionable, inspection-grade data.
Compliance-First Operations
The portfolio was divided between restricted and unrestricted airspace zones. Raad immediately filed FAA and ATC authorizations and, for military-controlled zones, coordinated directly with base airspace officers to secure COAs. All pilots were added as additional insureds under Raad’s enterprise aviation policies to meet the client’s risk requirements.
The portfolio was divided between restricted and unrestricted airspace zones. Raad immediately filed FAA and ATC authorizations and, for military-controlled zones, coordinated directly with base airspace officers to secure COAs. All pilots were added as additional insureds under Raad’s enterprise aviation policies to meet the client’s risk requirements.
Portfolio Ingestion & Planning
Raw site lists were converted into precise mission polygons with GSD, overlap, and RGB + thermal capture specifications. Missions were logged with due dates and weather contingencies for maximum efficiency.
Raw site lists were converted into precise mission polygons with GSD, overlap, and RGB + thermal capture specifications. Missions were logged with due dates and weather contingencies for maximum efficiency.
Smart Pilot Matching
Using Raad’s network of over 2,000 vetted U.S. pilots, missions were instantly assigned to qualified operators based on proximity, aircraft capability, and track record, minimizing mobilization time and cost.
Using Raad’s network of over 2,000 vetted U.S. pilots, missions were instantly assigned to qualified operators based on proximity, aircraft capability, and track record, minimizing mobilization time and cost.
QC-First Delivery
Each dataset, both RGB and thermal, was geo-verified and processed through Raad’s internal quality-control pipeline before final delivery through a secure client portal.
Each dataset, both RGB and thermal, was geo-verified and processed through Raad’s internal quality-control pipeline before final delivery through a secure client portal.
Transparency & Communication
Raad provided a real-time “Active Missions” tracker showing when each site was scheduled, flown, uploaded, and delivered, ensuring full transparency across all stakeholders.
Raad provided a real-time “Active Missions” tracker showing when each site was scheduled, flown, uploaded, and delivered, ensuring full transparency across all stakeholders.
On-Site Readiness
Raad managed communication with every site representative to confirm that each system was energized and configured correctly prior to capture. This ensured uniform data quality across the entire portfolio.
Raad managed communication with every site representative to confirm that each system was energized and configured correctly prior to capture. This ensured uniform data quality across the entire portfolio.
Results
The first month of inspections was completed with precision, coordination, and measurable impact.
- 57 sites inspected across 8 states, all delivered ahead of schedule.
- 800 MW scanned using dual-sensor capture (RGB and thermal).
- Thousands of anomalies identified, including hotspots, double hotspots, and diode bypass failures.
- 57 RGB orthomosaics and 57 thermal orthomosaics delivered, all geo-registered and ready for analysis.
- 98% local coverage, near-zero travel costs, and no scheduling delays.
Takeaways
- Scale: Raad’s 2,000+ vetted U.S. pilots enable rapid nationwide mobilization for large portfolios.
- Speed: 57 complex captures completed ahead of schedule through parallelized dispatch.
- Precision: Every dataset QC’d, geo-checked, and delivered to specification.
- Efficiency: Client involvement reduced to oversight only, with Raad handling all compliance, scheduling, and coordination.
- Insight: The data revealed thousands of actionable thermal anomalies, guiding maintenance priorities and immediate performance recovery efforts.
Who We Serve
Raad serves enterprises managing large, distributed portfolios across solar, real estate, utilities, and infrastructure who want turnkey, inspection-ready data without the burden of sourcing, coordinating, and quality-checking pilots.
Summary
This case study shows how Raad executed a nationwide solar inspection campaign for a global energy client, capturing 800 MW across 57 locations within weeks. Raad’s combination of compliance expertise, automated mission planning, and large-scale pilot coordination enabled delivery of fully QC’d, high-resolution orthomosaics and anomaly reports ahead of schedule.
Through its distributed pilot network and operational platform, Raad demonstrated that national-scale drone inspections can now be conducted with the speed, consistency, and quality once only achievable by satellite programs, but with sub-centimeter precision and true ground truth.