KEPCO Yona Solar Farm Topographic Survey

Conduct topographic survey of a 600-acre land in Yona

Client

KEPCO, Samsung & TG Engineers

Project Type

Topographic Mapping

Location

Yona, Guam

Project Overview

For the development of a large-scale 600-acre solar farm, Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) required a comprehensive topographic survey to support engineering, site planning, and construction efforts. Given the site’s challenging terrain and dense vegetation, traditional land surveying methods would have been slow, labor-intensive, and costly.

To expedite data collection while maintaining high-precision accuracy, 2cofly partnered with TG Engineers to conduct a drone-based LiDAR survey, mapping the entire site in less than one month—a significant time reduction compared to conventional methods.

The Challenge

The 600-acre site presented several obstacles, including:

Steep hills and rugged terrain, making ground-based surveying difficult
Dense vegetation, limiting visibility for traditional total station surveys
Need for high-precision elevation data, crucial for site planning and engineering assessments

Given these challenges, drone-based LiDAR scanning was the ideal solution, providing:

✔ High-resolution elevation models without manual clearing

✔ Faster data collection, significantly reducing survey time

✔ Engineering-grade accuracy for planning and design

Approach & Methodology

LiDAR-Based Aerial Survey

2cofly deployed drone-mounted LiDAR sensors to scan the terrain with centimeter-level precision, ensuring a high-density 3D point cloud of the site’s elevation and features.

Collaboration with TG Engineers

To achieve survey-grade accuracy, TG Engineers established ground control points (GCPs), ensuring all collected data was properly georeferenced for engineering use.

Deliverables Provided

✔ 3D Colorized Point Cloud – High-density spatial data for engineering analysis

✔ Digital Elevation Model (DEM) – Accurate ground elevation mapping for terrain assessment

✔ 1’ Contour Map – Essential for grading, drainage, and infrastructure planning

✔ High-Resolution Orthomosaic Map – Georeferenced aerial imagery for site documentation

Results & Project Impact

Expedited Project Completion

By utilizing drones, 2cofly completed the full survey in under one month, a drastic improvement over the several months, possibly a year it would have taken using traditional ground methods.

Cost-Effective & Efficient Surveying

Drone scanning eliminated the need for manual terrain navigation, reducing overall survey costs, labor, and time investment while still delivering highly accurate data.

Detailed, High-Accuracy Data for Engineering

The precise topographic dataset allowed KEPCO’s engineers to analyze terrain conditions, optimize solar panel placement, and plan infrastructure more effectively.

Conclusion

This 600-acre topographic survey demonstrates the power of drone-based LiDAR in large-scale solar energy projects. By combining advanced aerial mapping with engineering expertise, 2cofly delivered a fast, accurate, and cost-efficient survey solution, enabling KEPCO to proceed with development with confidence.

For companies and developers requiring large-scale land mapping, LiDAR surveys, or topographic analysis, 2cofly offers precision drone solutions to optimize project workflows and planning.

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: