Contractors can now export solar panel placements from drone models into racking design software to automate bills of materials.
Image: Ironridge
Drone-based solar design company Scanifly and racking provider IronRidge released an integration that links drone-based site surveys with racking layout software.  
The tool uses an application programming interface to transfer panel coordinates and roof dimensions from Scanifly 3D models into the IronRidge Design Assistant. The connection allows project designers to transition from field data collection to hardware procurement without leaving the digital environment. 
The automation removes the requirement for designers to recreate roof layouts across different platforms.  
By using measurements derived from drone imagery, the software generates racking plans and bills of materials based on actual site conditions. The process accounts for obstructions and roof slopes identified during the flight. The companies said the workflow reduces the time spent on manual data entry by one to three hours per project by eliminating redundant drawing tasks. 
The integration supports IronRidge XR and Aire racking systems as well as various attachment hardware like FlashFoot2. It is intended to increase the accuracy of equipment orders and reduce the frequency of design revisions during the installation phase. When layouts are exported, the system calculates the specific rail lengths and component counts required for the array. 
Designers can access the feature within the Scanifly platform to send array layouts to the IronRidge system. The update follows similar integrations Scanifly has established with other racking manufacturers and operations platforms to consolidate field data and engineering tasks. The functionality is available for residential and commercial solar contractors using both software services. 
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