Can TPO save solar from itself? Read our four incentives TPO should offer in 2026 to entice sales reps & EPCs to put homeowners’ interests first.
How Accurate is Scanifly Software?
Image courtesy of Northwest Electric & Solar Whenever we speak to solar contractors, they inevitably ask us how accurate Scanifly’s solar design software really is.
Scanifly’s Commitment to Accuracy: Our R&D Process in Action
As a company, we take pride in the Scanifly Accuracy Pledge. We know from personal experience working in solar, and from conversations with hundreds of
How to Get Your FAA Part 107 Drone License in 7 Days or Less
After completing a degree in Energy Engineering at Penn State, Santiago Jaramillo landed a job at Tesla as a solar energy storage designer. He wanted
How Drones Helped Steve Buchmiller Build Empire Solar Group
Steve Buchmiller got into solar by accident. An oil fields contractor originally, he started looking for new opportunities when the price of oil fell in
4 Reasons Why Site Surveyors May Be Your Best Salespeople
Nearly all solar contractors conduct an on-site survey before construction. Given this frequency, it’s commonplace for site surveyors to interact with homeowners in a variety
3 Trends All Solar Installers Must Be Aware Of
Whether for environmental or business reasons, more Americans than ever are looking into solar energy. Solar panel technology has been around for a while, but
Skydio 2 Drone Review (Part 2): Decent Software with Room to Grow
The Skydio 2 drone is a beautiful piece of machinery, but the hardware is only one part of it. After part one of this blog series where I reviewed Skydio 2’s hardware, I want to dive into the software side. I work with drones on a regular basis, and know that software is just as important – if not more important – than the drone itself. In this post, I’ve compiled my thoughts on Skydio 2’s software strengths and limitations, plus give my final verdict on whether I recommend the drone to everyone.
5 Tips for Building a National Solar Drone Program
For years, all solar surveyors worked manually. They’d climb up on roofs, measure steep roof pitches by hand, and provide manual drawings to designers. Around 2016, Empire Solar Group decided to try drones – a novel technology at the time – to improve site survey quality and speed. It worked. The company exploded, growing to over 600 employees by 2021, in part due to the efficiency and cool-factor of their national solar drone program.
Skydio 2 Drone Review (Part 1): Hardware that’s Ready for Takeoff
Tim Jackson, Scanifly’s VP of Customer Success, spends all day explaining drone hardware and software to solar contractors. For the past two weeks he has tested the Skydio 2 drone. Here is Part 1 of his review.
Building a Solar Powerhouse: How Drones Helped Freedom Solar Expand
Josh Meade saw Freedom Solar grow from a startup to a multi-state enterprise. He’s been in solar energy long enough to know the “old” way of climbing on roofs and translating hand-drawn sketches into official solar plans. Now, Freedom Solar has fully embraced drone technology. As Lead Designer, he loves how it helps Site Assessors stay safe and how drones make his job easier and more accurate in the design and planning process.
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