200-acre Topographic Survey for Solar Development

Topographic mapping of a solar development

Client

174 Power Global & TG Engineers

Project Type

Topographic Mapping

Location

Malojloj, Guam

Project Overview

2cofly was tasked with conducting a 200-acre topographic survey for a solar development project. Given the site’s hilly terrain and dense vegetation, traditional surveying methods would have been extremely challenging, costly, and time-consuming.

To overcome these obstacles, 2cofly partnered with TG Engineers’ survey team to execute a high-precision aerial survey, ensuring accuracy while significantly reducing field time.

This collaboration combined the efficiency of drone-based LiDAR mapping with the precision of traditional ground control surveys, allowing us to produce a detailed and highly accurate topographic dataset.

The Challenge

Surveying large, uneven, and vegetated terrain using traditional methods would require extensive ground access, slowing down the project timeline while increasing costs.

Key challenges included:

Dense vegetation coverage, making ground-based surveying difficult
Steep and rugged terrain, limiting accessibility
Need for high-precision elevation data for solar farm planning

A solution was required that could provide high-accuracy topographic data without the need for extensive manual surveying.

Approach & Methodology

Drone-Based Aerial Survey

2cofly’s drone team deployed LiDAR and high-resolution photogrammetry sensors to capture the terrain in 3D, ensuring comprehensive coverage across the 200-acre site.

Ground Control for Accuracy

To ensure survey-grade precision, TG Engineers’ survey team established ground control points (GCPs), which were used to georeference and validate the drone data. This collaboration enabled the final dataset to achieve high absolute accuracy, meeting engineering and design standards.

Deliverables

Following data processing and classification, 2cofly delivered:

Dense 3D Point Cloud – Highly detailed elevation and terrain data
1’ Contour Map – Precise elevation lines for topographic analysis
1” GSD Orthomosaic Map – High-resolution imagery for site planning
Digital Elevation Model (DEM) – Accurate terrain model for solar farm development

Results & Project Impact

Significant Time Savings

Drone-based surveying reduced data collection time from weeks to days, accelerating project timelines and minimizing disruptions.

Cost-Effective Alternative

Compared to manual surveying, aerial mapping lowered operational costs while maintaining the necessary precision.

High-Resolution & Accurate Data

By combining drone LiDAR and traditional ground control, the final deliverables met engineering-grade accuracy, ensuring the dataset was suitable for solar farm design, drainage planning, and land grading assessments.

Improved Accessibility & Safety

Using drones eliminated the need for extensive manual fieldwork in difficult terrain, enhancing both efficiency and safety for the survey team.

Conclusion

By leveraging drone-based topographic surveying, 2cofly and TG Engineers successfully provided a high-accuracy terrain model for the solar development project. This project demonstrated the power of integrating drone technology with traditional survey methods to deliver cost-effective, efficient, and precise mapping solutions.

For projects requiring large-scale topographic surveys, LiDAR mapping, or aerial data collection, 2cofly offers customized drone solutions that optimize efficiency, reduce costs, and deliver high-accuracy results.

2cofly (pronounced Ecofly) is Micronesia's leading drone service and education provider. Our core competency lies in remote sensing via various sensing technologies such as photogrammetry, LiDAR, thermal and more.

Few key deliverables we can output with our drones & sensors: