Simulating Tree Removal for Solar Design

Learn how to use Scanifly to simulate tree removal for more accurate, confident solar designs! Here is a project showcase from Scanifly customer, Kenmore, Washington-based Northwest Electric & Solar (NWES). Remote imagery and LiDAR in Washington State are often outdated or incomplete, and the trees most remote tools use are a poor representation of the real trees on the property. With Scanifly, the drone-based 3D model and Viewshed shading analysis ensure production estimates are based on current, accurate data. Viewshed calculates real-time shading for any panel location in seconds without anyone setting foot on the roof. The team can also run a sun path simulation, showing homeowners exactly how shade moves across their roof at any hour of any day, and how each tree impacts production. "We can show them how shading from trees impacts their array and give them suggestions on which trees to consider trimming or removing," said Manuel Larraine, Marketing Manager at NWES. "We can give them those recommendations with a lot more confidence than if we were working from remote data. That's huge when you're helping someone make a 25-year investment."