The Best Drones For Different Solar Use Cases
Key takeaway: For Marketers, the DJI Mavic Mini is a top choice. For Surveyors, look at the DJI Air 2S or Autel EVO II V3. For O&M use cases on residential and small commercial systems, consider the DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise or Autel EVO II Dual. All of these models were chosen for their balance of features and price points. That said, there is a strong case for high-end drones like Parrot Anafi and Skydio as well.
Drones are powerful for the solar industry. Not only do they keep Surveyors safer on the ground, drones capture high-quality photos and videos that make every function, from Design and Engineering to Marketing and Sales, more efficient.
But commercial drones also come in various shapes and sizes, with prices ranging from around $500 to well over $10,000.
So which should you choose? In short, it depends on your use case.
Best for Marketers: DJI Mavic Mini
Marketers need high-quality photos and videos to use in campaigns or on websites.
For this use case, the DJI Mavic Mini series is the easy winner.
Starting around $500, this drone is affordable and lightweight. While it has minimal flight automation features, that should not be an issue if you’re comfortable flying a drone (which you can learn in a matter of days). The Mini also won’t do well in inclement weather, but most marketing use-cases require a calm, sunny or slightly cloudy day.
Surveyors can also use the Mini, but the same warnings apply: no or few flight automation features and difficulty in inclement weather may cause issues for certain pilots or in certain regions.
Best for Site Surveyors: DJI Air 2S or Autel EVO II V3
Here’s what we like about these two drones for surveying use cases:
Automation: Both have point of interest (POI) features that require minimal pilot intervention in normal circumstances.
Durability: Both have sturdy construction, making it easier to operate in inclement weather and more likely to withstand small bumps or crashes.
Obstacle avoidance: Both drones have obstacle avoidance, which can be helpful when flying around trees, chimneys, or other roof obstructions. The Evo v3, in particular, has six censors, providing it with detection capabilities at all points of the drone.
Affordability: You can find cheaper drones on the market, but these are the best balance of budget, features, and durability. The Air 2S is slightly less expensive, and should be considered for smaller budgets and where fewer trees or aerial obstructions are an issue.
Best for O&M: DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise or Autel EVO II Dual
On top of great battery life and obstacle avoidance, both drones have additional features necessary for O&M:
Operating temperature range: This is valuable for emergencies and Contractors who conduct O&M business in the winter.
Thermal camera capability: Thermal images are the backbone of a revenue-generating O&M department.
Heavier payload: A bit more weight means it can operate in almost any weather, which is perfect for O&M use cases.
If you don’t want to use these drones or are more cost-conscious, there are many drones that work for O&M.
The right drone is about your work
Drones are an upfront investment, but one that pays dividends: 90% of Designers say that manual surveying methods cause bottlenecks in sales, design, and installation planning—all areas that a drone improves dramatically.
But picking the right drone is ultimately about your use case and needs, whether in surveying, marketing, or O&M.
It’s also worth noting two additional things:
First, DJI has announced it will no longer support the iOS SDK, a decision that could ripple in the industry. This means you should think about drone-agnostic platforms such as Scanifly, so you can still easily upload your data with an SD card reader and not be reliant on third party app integrations.
Second, the United States Department of Defence (DoD) has banned the procurement of all Chinese-made drones, including DJI and Autel, for government operations. This does not apply to individuals or businesses, but might be something to pay attention to if you do work with the US government. In these cases, you may want to look at US-made brands such as Parrot Anafi and Skydio models.
