EagleView debuts TrueDesign to create install-ready rooftop solar layouts
Many solar installers are forced to create two different designs as part of their standard workflow, creating operational inefficiencies that drive up soft costs. Solar soft costs, including customer acquisition and installation labor, still represent over half of total solar project costs, according to NREL. EagleView is looking to change that.
If you checked out our 10 standouts from the NABCEP show, you are familiar with EagleView. The company is a name brand in the construction, insurance, government and utility industries, which have used its aerial imagery and data for over 20 years. This week, the aerial imagery experts officially launched their new TrueDesign solar design solution to provide install-ready designs for solar installers at the contracting stage.
“TrueDesign revolutionizes the workflow for solar contractors, enabling more automated and virtual operations through a design tool that is accessible for nearly any skill level,” said Pete Cleveland, vice president of Solar Business for EagleView. “Our high-quality data underpins a new era of smooth, efficient sales, design and installation for the solar industry, ultimately resulting in happier customers who become ambassadors for solar in their communities.”
What’s different? TrueDesign allows for precise panel-placement designs that are automatically optimized for maximum energy output without the need for an external site visit. Exterior measurements and shade analysis are also provided remotely for every sales appointment – all of which is more precise than publicly available LIDAR data or satellite-derived 3D models.
A recent DNV GL technical study found that the average difference in annual solar access values between EagleView’s data and onsite measurements using a handheld shade measurement tool was between negative one percent and zero percent.
At the outset, you can download a complete CAD file including roof diagrams and module layouts to start your planning and engineering process. Overall, the goal here is to:
- Reduce or eliminate exterior site visits
- Run solar projects 2+ weeks faster
- Reduce or eliminate change orders, saving $250+ per job
- Reduce the risk of cancellation due to change orders, which impact upwards of 68% of jobs and carry cancellation costs up to $2,500 per customer
EagleView’s products and innovations are covered by more than 300 patents worldwide, with one billion images in its database. The company’s existing product set of three-dimensional (3D) data is four times more detailed than standard aerial imagery and seventy times more detailed than standard satellite imagery.
Comments are closed here.