1. Distinguish radiometric originals from colour images
A radiometric file contains measurement information used in temperature assessment. An ordinary JPEG or screenshot may hold only the coloured appearance. A JPG extension does not establish that a file is radiometric. DJI, for example, describes embedded temperature information in H20T R-JPEG images; this should not be assumed for every camera or file.
Keep a separate copy of camera originals. Do not resize them, turn them into screenshots or re-save them through an image editor for delivery. A PNG or TIFF extension does not itself prove that measurement data is present either. Discuss suitability using the camera model and original sample files.
2. Keep thermal and visible photographs connected
Visible photographs can help compare a thermal finding with the module layout, shading or surface condition. Some DJI workflows distinguish thermal and visible photographs using T and V filename endings; this convention is not universal. Check the camera’s recording arrangement rather than deleting files based only on their final letter.
Preserve original filenames, timestamps and source-folder information where available. If different flights produced identical filenames, explain which flight each set belongs to. Mark uncertain matches as uncertain; nearby sequence numbers alone do not prove that two photographs show the same module.
3. Prepare the plant and survey context
A short, consistent site summary makes the photographs easier to interpret. State the precision of any location information: camera GPS coordinates are not the same as a maintenance team’s module identifier. Record missing information as unknown instead of estimating it.
- Country, city or region, plant name and installed capacity, with kW or MW clearly identified.
- Survey date, time zone, camera model and separate flights or plant sections.
- Available layout plans, block/row/module identifiers and an explanation of thermal-visible matching.
- Recorded irradiance, wind, cloud changes and plant operating status when available; distinguish measurements from estimates.
- Known generation problems, inverter alerts and recent maintenance or cleaning.
4. Identify gaps before the full transfer
The number of photographs does not establish complete plant coverage. Flag roofs not photographed, repeated areas, blurred frames and files of uncertain date. Reviewing a small selection of representative originals before a large transfer can help clarify whether the available data suits the intended review.
Photographs may contain customer information or sensitive plant locations. Share only data you are authorised to provide. Keep your own backup of originals and agree the intended report use and data handover scope with our team. This guide is not a promise of a particular retention period.
5. Upload into the correct customer project
Contact our team first if you do not have an account; we create customer accounts. After signing in, choose the correct project or enter the plant details. Check the country, location and installed capacity before adding its photographs. The current photo uploader accepts JPG/JPEG, PNG and TIFF, with a limit of 512 MiB per file.
Adding files to the queue is not a completed transfer. Start the upload, keep the page open and review the results. Retry files that failed. A completed upload does not mean the data has passed technical review or the report is ready. Assessment of the files and the agreed reporting work follow the transfer.