Improving Efficiency at Solar Power Sites｜On-site LRTK Survey Techniques for Sharing Photos + Coordinates

Introduction: The Need for Rapid Information Sharing at Solar Power Sites

In construction sites and power plants for solar photovoltaics, how quickly site information can be shared among stakeholders often determines success or failure. Whether it’s installing solar panels and mounting structures, responding to equipment malfunctions, or inspecting after natural disasters, it is essential to "immediately grasp the situation on site and make appropriate decisions." Solar power plants in particular cover vast areas with varying conditions depending on location, so it is important to deliver on-site photos and data in a timely manner. Delays in initial response can lead to generation losses or escalation of problems, causing significant losses for operators.

However, traditionally there has been a time lag before site personnel’s photos taken with digital cameras or smartphones were shared internally. After shooting, photos had to be organized with notes and reported by email or documents after returning to the office, so the process "lacked real-time capability." Also, identifying the shooting location or target for each photo required numbering paper drawings or relying on verbal explanations, which often led to miscommunication. To address these issues, attention is turning to a "new field survey method that adds coordinates (location information) to photos and shares them." In the following sections, we will look at the specific changes and benefits.

How Photos + Coordinates Change On-site Records

The method of recording sites by combining photos with location information (coordinates) is bringing significant changes to solar site management. Specifically, because "information about where a photo was taken is automatically linked to the captured photo," the shooting location that would have been hard to identify from the photo alone becomes immediately clear when reviewing later. Even at a power plant with hundreds of similar panels, stakeholders can precisely understand that "this photo was taken near the third row at the northwest corner of the site," creating a common understanding among all involved.

With traditional on-site records, it was necessary to append vague location notes such as "near XX" or "close to YY" to each photo or to hand-number a site map and match items—a tedious process. With coordinate-tagged photos, "the photo itself functions as a pin on the map, conveying the location without further explanation." As a result, the organization and sharing of site records are simplified, and the "risk of record errors or mix-ups" decreases. This effect is especially pronounced on sites like solar power plants where equipment is spread over a wide area. Because information collected on site is preserved together with spatial data, those who receive reports can more easily picture the situation and give appropriate instructions.

Acquiring High-Accuracy Geo-Tagged Photos with LRTK

:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0} The ultra-compact RTK-GNSS receiver for smartphones, "LRTK Phone." It fits in your pocket so you can carry it anytime and take it out when needed.

LRTK is a system that makes it easy to utilize high-precision positioning technology based on the real-time kinematic (RTK) method on a smartphone. By attaching a dedicated compact GNSS receiver to a smartphone or tablet and using a specialized app, you can obtain position information far more precise than typical GPS. Its accuracy improves from the meter-level errors common in built-in smartphone GPS to errors within a few centimeters with LRTK—comparable to professional surveying equipment. For example, when recording the location of a specific panel mounting structure within a solar power plant, coordinates obtained with LRTK can pinpoint that exact structure.

In addition to high-precision positioning, LRTK also records the "direction (bearing)" the photo was taken by using the phone’s orientation sensors and gyros at the time of shooting. In other words, metadata automatically stores "where" and "which direction" the photo was taken. On-site personnel need only press the app’s shutter button; latitude, longitude, elevation, bearing, time, and notes are all saved to the cloud together with the photo. No special surveying knowledge or complicated operations are required—LRTK is truly a "simple surveying and on-site recording tool that can be completed with one smartphone per person."

Automation of Daily and Inspection Reports and Form Output Features

Storing photos with coordinates directly leads to greater efficiency in report creation. LRTK systems can "automatically generate daily reports and inspection report forms" from photos, notes, and location information collected on site. For example, once work details or abnormal points are recorded on site, a report PDF formatted to the prescribed template can be generated on the cloud with a single button press. Shooting time, location, photos, and comments are consolidated and tables and layouts are automatically formatted, so site personnel do not have to manually paste photos or edit text on a computer.

This "form output feature" dramatically reduces the time previously required to compile daily and inspection reports. Creating materials for submission—such as periodic inspection reports or post-construction inspection reports—can be nearly completed as an extension of on-site work. This benefits not only those on site but also managers and customers receiving the reports, since information is shared in a clean, organized format. Faster reporting enables quicker decision-making in solar power operations.

Visualizing Progress and Abnormalities with Fixed-Point Observation and Change Comparison

:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1} Example of displaying photos of the same location in chronological order on the LRTK cloud. On the left map, the shooting position and camera orientation are indicated by arrows, and on the right, each photo with shooting date/time and notes is listed.

Fixed-point observation is a method of tracking changes over time by continuously photographing from the same location. Using LRTK, fixed-point observation becomes easy and accurate to carry out. When returning to a previously photographed point and shooting again from the same spot, the app displays an AR guide to help align the device to the same position and orientation as before. By following on-screen arrows to adjust the camera direction, anyone can capture photos with nearly the same composition as the previous shot. This enables comparisons of installation progress, changes in terrain or vegetation around equipment, and degradation of mounts or fences as if a fixed camera had been placed in the same spot each time.

This "change comparison" prevents subtle abnormalities or changes on site from being overlooked. For example, it becomes immediately apparent whether rust or cracks have appeared at a location that had no issues during the previous inspection, or how much under-panel vegetation has grown to potentially affect power output. Photos are organized chronologically in the cloud and can be compared side by side for several past instances as needed. The accumulated coordinate-tagged photo data acts like an "electronic medical record" for the power plant, recording equipment history and helping with future maintenance planning.

Use Cases for Inspection and Maintenance of Solar Power Plants

Coordinate-tagged on-site records are useful in various situations in the maintenance and management of solar power equipment. Here are some representative use cases.

• Routine patrol inspections: During monthly or annual inspections, check panel surface dirt or damage, loose mounts, and cable deterioration. With LRTK, predetermined inspection points can be managed by coordinates to ensure the same spots are reliably checked. Inspection results are saved as coordinate-tagged photos and notes, making it easy for third parties to judge whether abnormalities exist and preventing missed inspections.

• Fault response and troubleshooting: When alarms from power conditioners or monitoring systems occur, LRTK is effective for onsite investigation. Photographing the relevant equipment accurately records and reports the problematic location. In a large solar power plant, being able to instantly share "which string and which panel is faulty" improves team communication and speeds up decisions on parts procurement and technician dispatch.

• Post-disaster damage assessment: After typhoons, heavy rain, earthquakes, and other disasters, coordinate-tagged photos are powerful for inspections. Capturing collapsed panels, scattered components, or soil erosion with location data allows immediate sharing with headquarters and stakeholders via the cloud. Rapid mapping of damaged areas enables quick identification of priority zones and faster preparation of recovery plans.

• Long-term monitoring of environment and equipment condition: For continuous monitoring of environmental changes around equipment (e.g., shading from vegetation growth, soil erosion, or standing water) or aging of structures like mounts and fences, fixed-point observation is useful. Accumulating coordinate-tagged photos over time clarifies when, where, and to what extent changes occurred.

• Recording and sharing construction work: Although not maintenance-related, LRTK is also valuable during new construction or equipment expansion. Measuring and recording pile driving or equipment installation positions with LRTK allows later verification of whether construction matches design drawings. Keeping position-tagged photos during construction provides evidence of as-built conditions and smooths information sharing among contractors and handover documentation.

From Site to Cloud: Immediate Sharing and Verification Mechanisms

By using LRTK for on-site records at solar plants, "data acquired on site is synchronized directly to the cloud," eliminating most of the time lag in information sharing. When a site worker presses the sync button in the app, the data can be viewed by managers in the office or remotely via a web browser within seconds. Photos are plotted on a map with corresponding notes, timestamps, and coordinates listed. This allows "real-time sharing of the same information" between the field and the office without cumbersome steps like emailing photos or giving supplementary explanations by phone.

Data on the cloud is stored securely and accessible to authorized stakeholders whenever needed. For example, as soon as a field worker uploads a photo, an offsite engineer can view it, assess the situation, and immediately provide additional instructions. Being able to make decisions based on the same up-to-date information regardless of time or location speeds up troubleshooting and reduces human errors. The LRTK cloud map view also allows free zooming to any point of interest or checking surrounding conditions with street-view-like features, making it possible to understand the situation vividly even without being physically present.

Location-Tagged Records Reduce Human Errors and Communication Mistakes

Recording and sharing site information with coordinates contributes to "preventing human error." Conventional methods relying on human memory and manual recording often result in mistakes such as "mismatching photos to locations," "forgetting to write notes," or details being lost in the telephone-game. In environments like solar power plants where many similar panels and devices are present, it can be difficult to "accurately convey where within the premises an abnormality occurred," potentially causing delayed response or rework.

Photos collected with LRTK automatically include date/time, coordinates, bearing, and notes, eliminating worries about omissions or incorrect manual entries. For example, leaving a text note attached to a photo on site prevents the kind of memory lapse that might occur when writing a report later. Visualizing positions on a map also makes it easier for stakeholders to share a "common understanding," reducing communication gaps like "I thought I had conveyed it but it wasn’t received." As a result, on-site response accuracy and safety improve, and unnecessary rework is reduced.

Benefits of Adoption: Streamlined Photo Management, Report Generation, and Stakeholder Sharing

As described above, introducing photo + coordinate information sharing to solar power sites brings many benefits. The main efficiency gains are summarized below.

• Improved manageability of site photos: Captured photos are organized and linked to a map in the cloud, preventing large volumes of images from getting lost. They are automatically classified by project and location, making past records easy to search. This eliminates wasted time searching through external HDDs or shared folders and enables quick access to needed information.

• Reduced time for form/report creation: Time spent creating daily and inspection reports is dramatically reduced. If records are kept on site, reports can be finalized by simply fine-tuning automatically generated forms. The burden of returning to the office and working late into the night to prepare reports is alleviated, allowing staff to focus on higher-value tasks.

• Smooth information sharing among stakeholders: Because data can be shared in real time via the cloud, everyone from supervisors and technical staff to partner companies—and in some cases customers or insurers—can "view the latest information at the same time." Time lags and inconsistencies in information are eliminated, improving the team’s response capability. Even between distant locations, a sense of unity in understanding the site is possible, raising the quality of reporting, contacting, and consulting.

Why Not Start Simple Surveying and On-site Recording with LRTK?

In construction and management of solar power plants, sharing information via photos + coordinates is no longer just "convenient"—it is becoming an "essential method that affects work efficiency and quality." By leveraging LRTK, processes for recording, reporting, and sharing are dramatically streamlined as described above, creating benefits at every level from site operations to management. Surveying and location-identification work that once required specialized equipment and skills can now be handled by palm-sized devices and smartphone apps by anyone.

If you have not yet introduced coordinate-tagged on-site recording, consider trying it out on site. The experience of taking photos that automatically record accurate locations and conditions and share them instantly offers efficiency and peace of mind that make it hard to go back to conventional methods. As a tool to promote on-site DX (digital transformation) for solar power operations, LRTK can be a powerful partner. Why not take this opportunity to adopt cutting-edge simple surveying and field survey techniques and step up your on-site operations to the next level?