Rooftop Imaging¶
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Standard Inspection Flight Plan¶
Orbit / Perimeter Pass¶
Begin with a slow orbit of the full building to: - Assess roof condition overview - Identify any structural issues or obstructions - Get overall array layout photo
Grid Pass (Main Inspection)¶
Fly a systematic grid over the array: - Rows parallel to panel strings - Overlap between passes: 20–30% - Altitude: 30–60 feet AGL (higher for larger arrays) - Speed: slow enough for sharp photos (typically 5–10 mph over array)
Close-Up Pass¶
For flagged panels or areas of concern from thermal: - Reduce altitude to 15–20 feet AGL - Capture individual panel detail
Camera Settings¶
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Mode | Manual or aperture priority |
| ISO | 100–400 (lowest for rooftop — plenty of light) |
| Shutter | Fast enough to eliminate motion blur (1/500s+ in bright sun) |
| Aperture | f/4–f/8 |
| White balance | Sunny / daylight |
| Format | RAW + JPEG if storage allows |
Coverage Requirements¶
Full inspection coverage means: - Every panel is visible in at least one photo - No entire strings are missed - Thermal pass covers full array at consistent altitude