Aerial Imagery Supporting Acquisition Due Diligence – Renewable Energy (Solar)
A renewable energy company based in Poland engaged Prius Intelli to gather imagery and elevation data for a land acquisition project in New Mexico. In addition to being halfway around the world, the three acreage blocks were located miles apart and in remote areas of the state. A fixed-wing flyover to support the development of orthographic maps and elevation models of each location was the perfect solution.
RGB orthophoto maps allowed for preliminary analysis of the terrain to determine:
- The presence of trees or bushes – shadows result in less productivity from panels; falling limbs pose risk of damage to panels.
- The presence (and size) of bodies of water to calculate the amount of usable land.
- The amount of agricultural activity taking place, if any.
Digital terrain models provided insight into the overall flatness of the terrain – flatter land is preferred for ease of panel installation. In addition, the models assisted in identifying potential drainage issues, such as areas prone to flooding or erosion, which may affect the stability of the solar panels or other infrastructure. Specific deliverables included:
- Digital Surface Models (DSM)
- DSM Hillshade
- Digital Elevation Models (DEM)
- DEM Hillshade
- Normalized Height Model
- Stream Networks
- Drainage Basins
- Contour Lines
- Slope Model
Because of a tight closing deadline, timely receipt of the data was critical. Working between a spate of spring thunderstorms, Prius Intelli flew the three properties and processed the data well within the needed timeframe (about three weeks). With the critical data in hand, the customer was able to complete its due diligence with confidence.
The cost of the flyovers and GIS processing was roughly comparable to what it would have cost to send a single representative from Poland to New Mexico (business class airfare, rental car, food, and lodging.) This does not include the number of work hours lost to travel. In addition, a ground survey alone could not have captured the terrain-related information necessary to fully inform decision-making.