Modeling Flights for C&I Solar Energy Rooftop Planning

Rooftop Modeling requires two flights: a mapping flight and an orbital flight.

Mapping Flight

Image captured during a mapping flight.

Resolution & Altitude
2 cm/pixel (.8 in/px) at rooftop level.
Approximate altitude: 91.4 m (300 feet) above ground level (AGL).
Example: For a building 45 ft tall (13.7 m), approximate AGL of 300ft (91.4 meters).

Gimbal Pitch
Nadir (straight down).
-90 degrees from horizon.

Overlap
75% front overlap, 75% side overlap.

Flight Area
The flight path should cover the entire site with a grid flight pattern.

Flight path.

Orbital Flight

Sample image from an orbital flight.

Altitude
One set of orbital images at ~100 ft above the rooftop.

Gimbal Pitch
Approx. 30 degrees facing toward the center of the site.
Do not include any sky in the view or image.

Flight Area
Flight should be flown in a circle around entire perimeter of site; fly elliptically for longer rectangular buildings.

Oblique Flight

Altitude
76.2 to 91.4 (250 to 300 feet) above ground level (AGL).

Gimbal Pitch
Oblique, -15.0 to -45.0 from horizon.

Flight Area
6.1 hectares (15 acres) per mission.
Approximately 3 megawatts or less.

Inner Facing Images
Typically 8 image captured at 130 m (600 ft) radius from the center in 8 principal compass directions.

Outer Facing Images
Typically 8 image captured from the center of the site in 8 principal compass directions.