5 Ways to Organize Drone Surveys for Solar Power Plant Insurance Application Documents

If a solar power plant sustains damage from a typhoon, heavy rain, snowfall, sediment inflow, flying debris, slope collapse, flooding, or similar events, it is important for insurance claims to organize "where, what, to what extent, and when it occurred" in a way that can be understood by third parties. Site photos alone can make it difficult to convey the extent and spatial relationships, and at solar power plants with large premises, overhead records from drone surveys, geotagged photos, point clouds and orthomosaic images, and rough estimates of area and distance can be helpful.

However, when using drone survey results as insurance claim documentation, simply submitting attractive images is not enough. To make the materials easy to use for claims, you must organize the documentation so that not only the presence or absence of damage but also the purpose of the claim, the scope of the survey, the imaging conditions, the comparison methods, and the intended recipient can be easily confirmed. In this article, we explain, from five perspectives for practitioners, how to organize drone survey materials when applying them to insurance claim documentation for solar power plants.

Table of Contents

• First, organize the damage situation and the purpose of the insurance claim.

• Clarify the area and objects to be recorded by drone surveying

• Make it easier to explain by linking photos with location information.

• Preserve records in a format that makes it easy to create before-and-after comparison materials.

• Arrange into a structure that communicates effectively as submission materials

• Summary

First, clarify the extent of the damage and the purpose of the insurance claim

When damage occurs at a solar power plant, the first thing to do is not to fly a drone immediately, but to clarify what you need to explain in the insurance claim. Drone surveying is an efficient way to record large areas, but if you shoot without a clear purpose, you may later find that the necessary locations were not captured or that most of the images are difficult to use for assessing the damage.

In insurance claims, it is important to demonstrate that damage actually occurred, to be able to confirm the location and extent of the damage, to make it easy to explain the relationship to the cause, and to identify what requires restoration or repair. For example, after heavy rainfall when sediment has flowed into part of a solar power plant, a photo that only shows mud may make it difficult to determine which area of the site it occurred in, which equipment it is near, or how extensive the spread is. Therefore, combining overall images from drone surveys with close-up photos so the damage extent can be explained on a map is effective.

When preparing insurance claim documents, it is important not only to "visualize" the damage but also to "link it to the claim details." Depending on whether the damaged item is a solar panel, a mounting structure, a fence, drainage equipment, a slope, or an access road, the angles, distances, and areas you should record will vary. If you want to describe panel damage, you need the location of the affected panel, the damaged area, and the surrounding conditions. If you want to describe a slope failure, you need the upper and lower edges of the collapsed slope, the reach of the displaced soil, and the relationship to nearby equipment and pathways.

Also, whether you record the condition immediately after the accident or the condition after emergency measures changes the significance of the photographs. In insurance claims, the situation immediately after the damage occurred can be important, but there are cases where you must prioritize emergency measures to ensure safety. In such cases, clearly stating the date the photos were taken, the on-site condition at the time of shooting, and the emergency measures already carried out will make it less likely for someone reviewing the materials later to be misled.

Before conducting drone surveys, align a minimum set of confirmation items among the site personnel, maintenance managers, the power plant owner, and the contact responsible for insurance claims to stabilize the quality of the documentation. Items to confirm are the date of damage or date of discovery, the presumed cause, the area where damage was confirmed, the equipment involved, whether access restrictions are in place, locations requiring urgent repairs, and the types of documents required by the recipient. If these remain unclear, even carefully captured images are likely to be insufficient as materials for insurance claims.

Especially at solar power plants, sites are extensive and similar rows of panels and racking run continuously, so it can be difficult to identify locations from photos alone. If damage locations are described only with expressions such as "part of the north side," "near the entrance," or "low-lying area," there is a risk that stakeholders will have different understandings. When using drone surveying, it is important to decide in advance which section of the plant, from which direction, and over what range will be recorded, and to ensure that this can be reflected on drawings and images afterward.

When filing an insurance claim, it's important not to write things conclusively that cannot be confirmed. For example, even if sediment inflow is observed on site, if the cause has not been identified, stating categorically that it "occurred due to heavy rainfall" may lead to the explanation changing after later verification. In documents, separate confirmed facts from assumptions and organize entries such as "sediment accumulation confirmed at time of photography", "cause under separate investigation", and "abnormality at the location confirmed after rainfall" to make the materials easier to handle as practical documentation.

Thus, in the preliminary stage of drone surveying, it is important to clarify what you want to explain in the insurance claim and to narrow down what should be recorded. By organizing what you want to prove, what you want to compare, and who will view the materials—rather than focusing solely on the act of shooting—you will make it easier to proceed with the subsequent preparation of documentation.

Clarify the scope and targets to be recorded in drone surveying

In drone surveys used for insurance claim materials for solar power plants, setting the imaging coverage is extremely important. Close-up images that focus only on damaged areas are useful for conveying the situation, but by themselves they do not show the positional relationship within the entire plant. Conversely, simply capturing wide shots of the whole site makes it difficult to confirm fine damage, accumulation, or deformation. In practice, organizing records in three levels—overall, zone, and individual locations—makes them easier to use as insurance claim documentation.

First, for the overall record, take images that allow you to grasp the layout of the entire solar power plant and the locations of damage. Photograph the site so that the site perimeter, access and maintenance roads, rows of panels, power receiving equipment, drainage routes, slopes, fences, and similar features are visible; this will make it easier to explain damaged areas later. In particular, for damage such as flooding, sediment inflow, wind damage, and slope failure—where not only individual equipment but also the site’s overall topography and water flow may be involved—overview images are important.

Next, for area-level recording, photograph the affected area with a slightly wider frame. For example, if a fence has collapsed, capture not only the fallen fence but also the surrounding ground, adjacent slopes, nearby maintenance roads, and any external debris or fallen trees. If a panel is damaged, record not only the damaged row of panels but also whether adjacent rows show similar anomalies and the extent to which fragments and scattered debris are present. Recording by area makes it easier to explain whether the damage is localized or continuous.

Furthermore, when documenting individual locations, photograph them so that the target equipment and damaged areas are clearly identifiable. Because confirming fine details can be difficult with a drone alone, it is also important to combine drone imagery with ground-based photographs. Drone surveys are well suited to gaining an overall understanding, but cracks, loosened fastenings, minor bends in members, nameplate information, and the condition of connection points are sometimes better captured by close-up photos taken from the ground. For insurance claim documentation, it is practical to use drone images and ground photographs together by assigning distinct roles to each rather than treating them as alternatives.

When clarifying what to photograph, it is useful to record not only the equipment directly related to the insurance claim but also surrounding elements that relate to the extent of the damage and to estimating its cause. For example, clogged drains, the path of rainwater, the direction of sediment inflow, the way slopes have collapsed, damage to exterior areas, and traces of inflow from outside the property can serve as supporting information to explain the damage. However, it is important to organize this information as objective evidence of the situation at the time of photographing, not as a means of definitively determining the cause.

Also, because many similar installations are lined up at solar power plants, it is necessary to decide on a method for identifying the objects. Align the site terminology with the notations in the documentation—such as panel rows, racking rows, plot numbers, locations of access roads, and equipment names—so that stakeholders can more easily confirm them. If there are no existing plot numbers, establish simple rules and keep them consistent in the documents, for example by dividing areas sequentially from the entrance side or by organizing rows from north to south.

Do not forget to record the shooting conditions. Organizing details such as the date and time of shooting, weather, shooting altitude, shooting direction, coverage area, the photographer, and an overview of the surveying methods used makes it easier to interpret the images later. For insurance claim documents, it is more important to know when, where, and under what conditions the images were recorded than how visually appealing they are. In particular, when reviewing materials after restoration work or cleaning operations have progressed, the absence of the conditions at the time of shooting makes it difficult to determine whether the images document the situation immediately after the damage or after the work.

When recording the extent of an area with drone surveying, it's important not to capture a field that is narrower than necessary. For insurance claims, the undamaged areas surrounding the subject site also serve as useful points of comparison. For example, if only certain rows of panels at the same power plant are buried by sediment, showing both the damaged and undamaged areas within the same set of materials makes it easier to convey the extent of the damage. Including the surrounding area in your records also helps explain the boundaries of the damage.

At the same time, be careful not to photograph so broadly that the crucial damaged areas cannot be identified. For use as insurance claim documentation, the materials should indicate where the damage is within the overall images and, when necessary, direct the viewer to close-up images or individual photos. Arranging the overall images, area images, and individual images in the same order makes it easier for someone who has never been to the site to follow the situation.

In this way, clearly defining the survey scope and the objects to be recorded with drone surveying provides the foundation for insurance claim documentation. Damage at solar power plants can involve not only individual equipment but also terrain, drainage, the site perimeter, access roads, and similar elements. By recording with awareness of both overall extent and fine detail from the outset, it becomes easier to produce materials that can later be used for explanations.

Make it easier to explain by associating photos with location information

One common problem in insurance claim documentation is that although photos are provided, it is unclear where within the solar power plant they were taken. Solar power plants often have repeating scenery—rows of panels, racking, fences, and walkways can look the same—so it can be difficult to pinpoint a location from photos alone. When using drone surveys, it is important to link photos with location information and organize them so that reviewers can easily trace the damaged areas without confusion.

First, an effective method is to indicate the damaged areas on an overview image of the entire power plant. On the overview image, organize the damaged locations, photo positions, shooting directions, and the extent of the affected equipment so they are easy to understand. For example, if there is a collapse on the slope to the east as seen from the service road, indicate that slope on the overview image and link from there to an enlarged image. This makes it easier for staff who are unfamiliar with the site to grasp where the damage is located within the power plant.

Next, it is important to correlate photo numbers with their locations. Rather than simply listing photos by themselves, concisely noting for each photo the shooting date, shooting direction, subject location, and items checked will improve the readability of the document. For example, if you include information such as "shooting location: near the south perimeter fence," "items checked: fence tilt and ground deformation around the posts," and "shooting direction: from outside the site toward the inside," the meaning of the photos becomes clear.

When organizing location information, it is also important not to rely solely on overly technical expressions. Coordinate values and survey data are useful for indicating precise locations, but not everyone who reviews insurance claim documents is familiar with survey maps. Therefore, in addition to coordinates and drawings, it is helpful to also include easily recognizable onsite landmarks such as the entrance, access/maintenance roads, perimeter fences, power receiving equipment, and panel rows. In practical documents, you need to be mindful of both technical expertise and readability.

When using orthophotos and point cloud data produced by drone surveys, it is effective to organize the damaged locations on a map and correlate them with photographs. Orthophotos make it easy to grasp the overall positional relationships of a power plant from above and serve as convenient base materials for indicating the extent of damage and the camera positions. Point cloud data can be helpful when you want to confirm elevation differences and terrain changes. However, for insurance claim materials, simply submitting specialized data as-is can be difficult to understand, so it is important to extract the necessary sections and include explanatory text.

When linking photos to location data, it is also effective to record the same subject from multiple distances. For example, when documenting a slope failure, prepare an overview image showing its position within the entire power plant, a mid-range image showing the extent of the failed slope, and a close-up image showing the condition of the displaced soil and cracks. With these three levels of documentation, you can sequentially explain the location, extent, and condition of the damage.

Also, including reference markers in the same photograph can be effective. When on-site structures such as the width of maintenance roads, rows of panels, fence posts, drainage ditches, and the shoulder or toe of a slope are visible, it becomes easier to interpret the extent of damage and spatial relationships. If you need to indicate dimensions, combine survey results or field measurements and avoid organizing based solely on photographs.

In insurance claim documents, you also need to be careful about how you select photos. Lining up many similar photos can actually bury important information. For submission materials, select photos by role: photos showing the overall view, photos showing the extent of the damage, photos showing the condition of the damage, and photos showing the surrounding conditions. It is important to retain many photos as supplementary material, but in the explanatory materials for the claim you should organize them so that viewers can make a judgment in a short time.

File names and the way photos are managed are also practical points. If the date taken, the area, and the photo number are clear, it will be easier to find them later when preparing documents. For example, manage files according to consistent rules, such as including the date taken, the power plant name, the area name, the photo number, and the inspection details. If file names are inconsistent and you cannot tell which photo shows which location, preparing insurance claim documents will take extra time.

Furthermore, it is important to leave a brief note immediately after taking photographs. Even if you understand the damage while on site, reviewing only the photos a few days later can make it unclear which part they show. By recording the photo location, abnormalities confirmed on site, information heard from stakeholders, whether access restrictions are in place, and the status of any emergency measures, it becomes easier to reflect these details in later documentation.

Organizing photos linked to location information is useful not only for insurance claims but also for arranging restoration work, explaining the situation to stakeholders, and considering measures to prevent recurrence. In drone surveys of solar power plants, not only taking aerial photographs but also thinking in advance about how to document those photos increases the value of site records.

Preserve records in a format that makes it easy to create before-and-after damage comparison materials

In insurance claim materials, it can be easier to explain the situation if you can compare the post-damage condition with the pre-damage condition rather than only showing the former. At solar power plants, records such as periodic inspection reports, as-built documentation, past drone surveys, and maintenance photos may be available, and comparing these with post-damage records makes it easier to identify and organize changes. However, creating comparison materials requires taking care to standardize shooting conditions and methods of organization.

What matters in before-and-after damage comparisons is being able to observe the same location from a similar viewpoint. If the pre-damage photo was taken obliquely while the post-damage photo was taken directly overhead, it becomes difficult to accurately read the changes. Even if it is difficult to make the conditions exactly the same, aligning the coverage, orientation, altitude, and framing of the subject as much as possible will result in materials that are easier to compare.

In power plants that conduct drone surveys regularly, past orthoimages and point cloud data can sometimes be utilized. For example, by comparing the terrain before and after heavy rainfall, it becomes easier to indicate the extent of sediment inflow and the locations of deposition. Slope failures, scour of management roads, and changes around drainage facilities are also easier to explain when organized as a time series. However, because comparison results are affected by surveying conditions and data accuracy, it is important in reports to separate "areas that can be confirmed" and "areas that include estimates."

Even if pre-damage data are not available, comparisons with undamaged areas can be useful. Comparing damaged and undamaged zones within the same power plant makes it easier to explain where anomalies exist. For example, if mud deposits are present on only some rows of panels, comparing those rows with surrounding panel rows makes it easier to show the extent of sediment inflow. If only part of a fence is leaning, including comparison photos of intact fence sections also helps convey the degree of deformation.

When creating comparison materials, it is also important to make the passage of time clear. Organize the damage discovery date, date of the first photograph, date of emergency response, date of additional photographs, pre-restoration inspection date, and post-restoration inspection date in chronological order so that those viewing the materials can more easily follow the progression of the situation. In particular, after a disaster multiple tasks may proceed in parallel, and if it becomes unclear when a photo was taken, explanations of the damage can become ambiguous.

In insurance claims for solar power plants, before-and-after comparisons of restoration work can also be important. Recording what the condition was before repairs and what extent was restored after repairs makes it easier to use for insurance claims and reports to stakeholders. Aerial records from drone surveying are well suited to summarizing the scope of restoration. Meanwhile, supplementing with ground-level photographs of the repaired areas increases the explanatory power of the documentation.

A point to be careful about in comparison materials is not to determine the extent of damage based solely on visible changes. For example, even if an aerial photograph shows an area that appears discolored, on-site verification may be necessary to determine whether it is mud, moisture, a shadow, or a difference in vegetation. The results of drone surveys are an important basis for judgment, but for insurance claim documents it is practical to organize them together with on-site verification, ground photographs, inspection records, and repair estimates.

Also, when creating comparison materials, be careful with image editing. Large changes to brightness or contrast can give an impression of the damage that differs from reality. Even if you make minimal adjustments to improve readability, it is important to retain the original images and ensure that the intention behind any edits cannot be misunderstood in the submitted materials. If you circle damaged areas, add arrows, or include explanatory text, it is advisable to also keep separate images that show the original condition.

When comparing before-and-after damage, the locations where data are stored and version control are also important. If photos taken immediately after the damage, organized images, materials for submission, and post-repair records are mixed together, it becomes difficult to tell which files are the most recent and which have already been submitted. Establish folder structures and file-naming rules and manage files so that the date and purpose are clear; this will make it easier to respond to additional submissions or inquiries.

Comparison materials are useful not only for insurance claims but also for future power plant management. They provide a basis for reviewing which areas were most vulnerable to damage after a disaster, where drainage weaknesses existed, and whether there are slopes or perimeter areas that need reinspection. By accumulating drone survey data as maintenance records rather than leaving it as one-off application materials, you can use it for future inspections and countermeasures.

Organize into a structure suitable as submission materials

Even if drone surveys obtain sufficient images and data, if they are not organized as submission materials they become difficult to use for explaining insurance claims. What insurance companies and other stakeholders want to review is not the raw captured data itself but documents that clearly organize the extent of the damage. Therefore, for insurance claim materials for solar power plants, it is important to structure the documents so that viewers can understand the contents in a short time.

At the beginning of the document, concisely summarize the power plant name, an overview of its location, the date the photos were taken, the date the damage was discovered, the purpose of the photography, and the scope of coverage. The important point here is not to display detailed photos immediately, but to first present the overall picture. Including an overview (aerial) image of the entire power plant and indicating the area where damage was confirmed will make subsequent photos and explanations easier to understand. The basic rule for preparing such documents is to make clear which location is being discussed, even to readers unfamiliar with the site.

Next, organize the materials separately for each damage location. For example, dividing the document into sections by item—around the panels, around the mounting racks, fences, slopes, drainage facilities, and access roads—makes it easier to review. If there are multiple damaged areas, number them on the overall power plant map and place photos and descriptions corresponding to each number. This allows readers of the materials to check the situation by moving back and forth between the overall map and the individual photos.

In descriptions of each damaged location, write with a focus on facts that were confirmed. Instead of vague expressions like "appears to be damaged" or "seems abnormal," specifically indicate what could be observed at the time of photography. For example, "cracks confirmed on the panel surface," "fence posts confirmed to be leaning," "sediment accumulation confirmed on the access road," "driftwood and deposits confirmed around the drainage channel." At the same time, do not make definitive statements about causes or liability when they have not been confirmed.

A clear flow for the materials is: overall summary, extent of damage, individual photographs, supplementary information, chronology, and planned future actions. In the overall summary, show the spatial relationships across the entire power plant; in the extent of damage section, visualize the affected area using drone survey results. In the individual photographs section, confirm the condition of each location. In the supplementary information, organize field notes, ground photographs, and the status of temporary measures. In the chronology, present the sequence from discovery to photography, emergency response, and additional inspections.

In submitted materials, it's also important not to overuse technical terms. Words that are clear to staff familiar with surveying, point clouds, and orthoimages may not be understood by the reviewers of insurance claims, who do not necessarily share the same assumptions. Therefore, when using technical terms, it's a good idea to include explanations in the materials so their meaning is clear. For example, using expressions such as aerial images, position-aligned plan images, and data for checking changes in elevation together makes it easier for the reader to understand.

In documents, it is important to add concise captions to photos. If you simply line up photos, it can be unclear where to focus. Captions should briefly summarize the shooting location, what was checked, the extent of the damage, and the relationship to surrounding equipment. Writing long passages for each photo makes it hard to read, so it is also important to limit the text to the necessary information. If a detailed explanation is required, supplement it in the main text and keep the caption under the photo concise.

In insurance claim documents, it is also important to avoid expressions that may cause misunderstanding. For example, definitive phrases such as "total loss," "completely unusable," or "certainly covered" should not be used before the person with decision authority has confirmed them. As on-site documentation, it is safer to record facts that can be confirmed and leave evaluations and judgments to the confirmation of the relevant parties. Positioning the results of drone surveys as objective supporting material for the claim makes them easier to handle.

Also, in addition to the materials you submit, you need to retain the original data. In addition to the images organized for submission, keep the original captured data, survey results, photography logs, field notes, and ground-level photographs, as this makes it easier to respond if additional verification becomes necessary. If only the submission materials are kept and the original data cannot be found, you may have trouble later if images from different angles are needed.

When arranging documents for readability, margins, headings, photo sizes, and the placement of explanatory text are also important. Insurance claim documents may be reviewed by multiple people inside and outside the company. Documents that are hard to read can delay communication even when the content is correct. For projects with a wide scope, such as solar power plants, the amount of information tends to be large, so making clear sections and structuring the material to flow from an overall view to individual photos makes review easier.

Also, before submission, it is a good idea to check whether a third party can understand the damaged areas from the materials alone. Because the person who prepared them knows the site, they may understand even if the explanation is insufficient. However, insurance companies, power plant owners, repair contractors, and others need to be able to interpret the situation from the materials. Having another person within the company review the materials to confirm whether the location, extent, condition, and chronology are clear makes it easier to identify points for improvement before submission.

Thus, to use drone survey results as insurance claim documentation, you need to consider the workflow of capture, surveying, organization, and explanation as an integrated whole. Not only collecting images and data, but structuring them according to the purpose of the claim and presenting them in a way that communicates clearly to the reader increases the practical value of the materials.

Summary

When using drone surveying for insurance claim documentation for a solar power plant, the important thing is not just to photograph the damage. It is essential to first clarify what needs to be explained in the insurance claim, and to consider the scope of recording, the objects to be documented, the correspondence between photos and location data, before-and-after comparisons of the damage, and the organization of the materials to be submitted.

Solar power plants have large sites and many similar, repeating installations, so it can be difficult to explain the location and extent of damage using only ground-level photographs. Using drone surveys makes it easier to obtain an overview of the entire plant, identify the damaged areas, and clarify their relationship with surrounding conditions. On the other hand, detailed damage and equipment conditions need to be supplemented with ground photographs and inspection records. By combining aerial records with ground records, the information can be organized into a format that is easy to understand for insurance claim documentation.

In practice, what you should be especially mindful of is separating verified facts from inferences. The results of drone surveys provide material that objectively shows the extent of damage, but they do not definitively determine causes or the scope of compensation. Carefully organize the condition, position, extent, and surrounding circumstances that can be confirmed at the time of capture, and, when necessary, follow up with confirmation from relevant parties or additional investigations.

Also, the condition of the site changes over time after damage occurs. As emergency response, cleaning, and restoration work proceed, it becomes difficult to reproduce the situation immediately after the damage. Therefore, after ensuring safety, it is important to preserve both overall and individual records as early as possible and to organize the photo dates, shooting conditions, and the status of responses. Even if you postpone preparing documents, retaining photographic data, on-site notes, photo numbers, and location information will make it easier to compile materials for insurance claims later.

In insurance claims for solar power plants, there are many stakeholders and multiple items to verify. To ensure the plant owner, maintenance manager, repair contractors, and insurance claim handlers can share the same information, organizing drone survey results into clear, easy-to-understand materials helps reduce rework. By providing an overall map, the extent of damage, individual photographs, comparison materials, and a chronological sequence, it becomes easier to convey the situation to people who have not visited the site.

In responding to disasters and accidents, there are many issues to consider simultaneously, such as the impact of power outages, preventing secondary damage, ensuring safety, and arranging repairs. In that context, drone surveying is an effective means to efficiently grasp on-site conditions and document them. If you are considering using it for insurance claims, it is important to be mindful from the photographing stage about whether you will be able to explain things later, and to organize location information, coverage, chronology, and ease of comparison.

If you want to clearly document site conditions for damage records and insurance claim documentation for a solar power plant, it's a good idea to start by reviewing your drone surveying operations. By organizing the process as a single workflow—from recording damaged areas and gaining an overall understanding to organizing point clouds and images and sharing them with relevant parties—you can make on-site response easier.