Case Study: 300-Acre Solar Farm Drone Survey Delivered in 10 Days
When a renewable energy developer needed a topographical survey of a 300-acre site for a proposed solar farm development in Ireland, the pre-planning timeline left no room for a traditional ground-based approach. The site featured multiple field boundaries, drainage ditches, overhead power lines, existing access roads, and active farming operations across its full extent.
Drone Services Ireland delivered the complete topographical survey, including full CAD extraction of all critical features, in 10 days from project commencement to final deliverable. Two days on site. Eight days processing. Here is how the project was delivered.
Project Specification Table
Parameter | Detail |
Site area | 300 acres (121 hectares) |
Survey type | Topographical survey with CAD extraction |
On-site capture | 2 days |
Total delivery | 10 days from commencement to final deliverable |
Equipment | DJI Matrice 300 RTK with DJI Zenmuse P1 (45 MP photogrammetry sensor) |
Positioning | RTK GNSS with ground control points and independent check points |
Accuracy achieved | ±5 cm in X, Y, and Z axes |
Deliverables | AutoCAD DWG, orthophoto, DTM, 3D point cloud (LAS), survey report |
On-site time saving | Over 80% compared to traditional ground survey |
Client sector | Renewable energy / solar farm development |
The Challenge: Complex Terrain and Tight Pre-Planning Deadlines
Solar farm developments require exceptionally detailed topographical data during the pre-planning phase. The developer’s engineering team needed accurate information on existing field boundaries and property lines; drainage patterns and watercourses; access roads and potential haul routes; overhead cable positions and heights; ground levels for panel-array design; and vegetation and environmental features across the full 300-acre extent.
A traditional ground-based survey using total stations would have required a team of two to three surveyors on site for approximately two weeks, working in all weather conditions and navigating uneven terrain, waterlogged ditches, and proximity to overhead power lines. The estimated total delivery time for a traditional approach was 4 weeks or more, including weather contingency and processing time.
The pre-planning timeline did not accommodate a four-week survey programme. The developer needed CAD-ready data that their engineering team could import directly into design software and begin panel layout optimisation without delay.
Days 1 to 2: On-Site Data Capture
Drone Services Ireland completed the entire 300-acre site capture in two days using the DJI Matrice 300 RTK with the DJI Zenmuse P1, a 45-megapixel full-frame photogrammetry sensor. The aircraft flew systematic grid patterns across the full property using RTK GNSS positioning, capturing thousands of overlapping high-resolution images with centimetre-level accuracy.
Ground control points and independent checkpoints were established at pre-planned locations where access was safest, providing independent verification of the aerial survey’s accuracy.
The drone-based approach allowed the survey team to capture the entire site without requiring physical access to every field. There was no need to negotiate entry across multiple land parcels, no requirement to send ground crews into drainage ditches or beneath overhead power lines, and no disruption to the ongoing farming operations and livestock on the site.
Where a traditional survey crew would have spent days measuring ditches and field boundaries on foot in difficult conditions, the drone covered the equivalent ground in hours while the team maintained safe observation positions.
Days 3 to 8: Processing and CAD Extraction
Drone Services Ireland processed the captured imagery into a detailed 3D point cloud model of the entire 300-acre site. This digital twin provided the foundation for extracting all the features the client required.
The following features were classified, extracted, and delivered in AutoCAD DWG format, properly layered and attributed for immediate use by the engineering team: all drainage ditches with invert levels, field boundaries and hedgerows, existing road networks and farm tracks, overhead cable positions and heights, watercourses and culverts, spot heights across the site, contour lines at 0.5 m intervals, and existing structures and buildings.
Each feature was extracted by experienced surveyors working from the 3D point cloud with photo support, ensuring accurate interpretation of features that are difficult to define from elevation data alone. The full 3D point cloud remained available to the client for any additional queries or measurements throughout the design process.
Days 9 to 10: Quality Assurance and Delivery
Drone Services Ireland processed the captured imagery into a detailed 3D point cloud model of the entire 300-acre site. This digital twin provided the foundation for extracting all the features the client required.
The following features were classified, extracted, and delivered in AutoCAD DWG format, properly layered and attributed for immediate use by the engineering team: all drainage ditches with invert levels, field boundaries and hedgerows, existing road networks and farm tracks, overhead cable positions and heights, watercourses and culverts, spot heights across the site, contour lines at 0.5 m intervals, and existing structures and buildings.
Each feature was extracted by experienced surveyors working from the 3D point cloud with photo support, ensuring accurate interpretation of features that are difficult to define from elevation data alone. The full 3D point cloud remained available to the client for any additional queries or measurements throughout the design process.
The Results: Time, Cost, and Safety
The drone approach delivered measurable advantages over a traditional ground survey of this scale.
On-site time was reduced by over 80%. Two days on site, compared with an estimated two weeks for a ground-based crew, meant minimal disruption to farming operations, no weather-related delays, and lower mobilisation and accommodation costs.
Total delivery time was reduced by over 60%. The 10-day total, from instruction to final deliverable, compared to a four-week minimum for traditional methods, allowed the developer to maintain their pre-planning timeline without compromise.
Ground-based hazards were eliminated entirely. No survey personnel were required to work in drainage ditches, beneath overhead power lines, or across waterlogged and uneven terrain. The drone handled all close-proximity work while the survey team maintained safe observation positions.
The engineering team received all data in AutoCAD DWG format, eliminating the typical delay for data conversion. They imported the CAD files directly into their design software and began panel layout optimisation immediately.
Equipment and Accuracy
This project was captured using the DJI Matrice 300 RTK with the DJI Zenmuse P1, a 45-megapixel full-frame sensor purpose-built for photogrammetric survey. RTK GNSS positioning provided real-time centimetre-level accuracy, verified against ground control points established independently on site.
The survey achieved positional accuracy of ±5 cm in X, Y, and Z axes, exceeding the accuracy specifications typically required for solar farm planning applications.
For projects requiring bare-earth terrain models through vegetation, Drone Services Ireland also operates the DJI Zenmuse L2 LiDAR sensor, which delivers 240,000 points per second in single-return mode and up to 1.2 million points per second in multi-return mode with five returns per pulse. The L2 was used on a related solar farm project to survey 15 km of overhead power lines adjacent to a proposed panel installation area, documented in a separate case study.
All Drone Services Ireland survey operations are conducted under full EASA Specific Category authorisation and IAA certification, with €6.5 million public liability insurance.
Why Drone Surveys Are Suited to Solar Farm Developments
Solar farm projects present ideal conditions for drone surveying. The sites are large and open, making traditional ground methods time-consuming and expensive, while drones can cover the same area efficiently without compromising accuracy.
Pre-planning timescales for renewable energy developments are often tight. Drone surveys compress the survey phase from weeks to days, keeping planning applications on schedule. The deliverables are CAD-compatible from the outset, allowing engineering teams to begin panel layout, cable routing, and access road design immediately upon receipt.
The same drone survey dataset supports the full project lifecycle. The orthophoto and point cloud captured during the pre-planning survey can later be used for construction monitoring, progress tracking, earthworks volumetrics, and as-built verification, reducing the need for multiple separate survey mobilisations.
Drone Services Ireland has surveyed renewable energy sites across Ireland since 2016. This experience extends beyond solar farms to wind farm topographical surveys, grid connection route surveys, and substation site assessments.
Frequently Asked Questions
On-site capture typically takes two days for a site of this scale. Total delivery, including processing and CAD extraction, was completed in 10 days on this project. Timelines vary depending on site complexity, deliverable requirements, and weather conditions.
Drone Services Ireland routinely achieves ±5 cm accuracy in X, Y, and Z axes using RTK GNSS positioning verified against independent ground control points. This exceeds the accuracy specifications required for most solar farm planning applications.
Standard deliverables include AutoCAD DWG files with all extracted features (contours, drainage, boundaries, utilities, structures), a full-resolution orthophoto, a digital terrain model (DTM), a 3D point cloud in LAS format, and a survey report. Deliverables can be tailored to your engineering team’s specific requirements.
No. One of the primary advantages of drone surveying is that the aircraft can capture data over areas where ground access is difficult, restricted, or would require individual landowner agreements. Ground control points are established at accessible locations, and the drone covers the full site from the air.
Yes. The orthophoto, point cloud, and DTM captured during the pre-planning phase serve as baseline data for construction monitoring, progress tracking, earthworks volumetrics, and as-built verification throughout the project lifecycle.
Drone Services Ireland uses the DJI Matrice 300 RTK with the DJI Zenmuse P1, a 45-megapixel full-frame photogrammetry sensor. For projects requiring LiDAR (for example, surveying power line corridors through vegetation), the DJI Zenmuse L2 is used. All flights use RTK or PPK GNSS positioning.
Discuss Your Solar Farm Survey
If you are planning a solar farm development and need topographical survey data for your planning application, contact Drone Services Ireland to discuss your requirements. We provide free quotations and can typically mobilise within days of instruction.
Call 087 205 2331 or use our contact form to get started.