Case Study: Cutting Solar Survey and Design Time by 90% with Render-a

A Germany based mid-size solar EPC company improved its site survey and design workflow by integrating Render-a into its process. By replacing manual measurements with drone based photogrammetry, the company significantly reduced survey time, accelerated proposal delivery, and enabled real-time customer collaboration resulting in faster deal closures and improved operational efficiency.

Customer Profile

• Industry: Solar EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction)
• Location: Germany – North Rhine-Westphalia
• Company Size: ~25-50 employees
• Core Tools: PVSol for system design and simulation
• Typical Project Type: Residential and small-to-mid commercial rooftop installations
• Monthly Lead Volume: ~60-100 inbound + outbound opportunities

The company operates in a highly competitive regional market where speed, accuracy, and customer trust directly impact conversion rates.

Challenge

1. Time-Consuming Site Surveys

Before using Render-a, the company relied heavily on manual measurements and partial drone usage without automated processing. A typical site survey required:

• 1–2 hours on-site measurement
• Additional time for data cleanup and PVSol preparation
• Frequent back-and-forth between sales and design teams

This created delays in the early stages of the sales funnel.

2. Repetitive and Fragmented Workflow

The workflow included multiple manual steps:

• Measuring roof dimensions manually or from images
• Recreating the site in PVSol or CAD tools
• Repeating adjustments after customer feedback

This led to duplicated effort across teams and increased the likelihood of small inconsistencies.

3. Slower Sales Cycles & Lost Momentum

Because of delays in survey and design:

• Proposal turnaround could take 2-3 days
• Customers had more time to evaluate competitors
• Sales calls lacked visual clarity and interactivity

In some cases, this resulted in lost deals due to slower response times rather than pricing or quality.

Solution

Transition to Drone-Based Photogrammetry with Render-a

The company integrated Render-a into its workflow by standardizing drone data capture and automating 3D model generation.

New Workflow

1. Site Visit
   • A short ~10-minute drone flight captures aerial imagery
   • No manual measurements required
2. Automated Processing
   • Images are uploaded to Render-a
   • A 1:1 scale 3D model is generated within ~30 minutes
3. Sales Interaction
   • Sales team opens the 3D viewer during or shortly after the customer meeting
   • Layout and panel placement can be discussed visually in real time
4. Design Integration
   • Project is exported and recreated directly in PVSol
   • Design team continues feasibility analysis without rebuilding the model

Results

1. Significant Reduction in Survey Time

• Before: 1-2 hours per site
• After: ~10 minutes drone flight

This represents a major reduction in manual effort and field workload.

 2. Faster Design & Proposal Turnaround

• 3D models ready in ~30 minutes
• No need to recreate site geometry manually
• Proposal preparation time reduced from days to same-day delivery in many cases

3. Real-Time Customer Collaboration

Sales teams can now:

• Open a 3D model during discussions
• Adjust layouts together with the customer
• Visually explain system placement and constraints

This improves transparency and builds trust early in the process.

4. Shortened Sales Cycle

In several cases, the company was able to:

• Conduct survey
• Generate design
• Present solution
• Deliver proposal

All within a single day

This significantly reduces the risk of losing deals to competitors during the waiting period.

5. Operational Efficiency Gains

• Reduced dependency on manual PVSol work
• Less back-and-forth between sales and design teams
• Increased capacity to handle more leads without expanding team size