Automated accurate viable solar area determination

1. A system for determining a viable area for solar radiation, comprising:

an interface configured to:

receive location information; and

a processor configured to:

determine multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determine a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises to:

combine, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determine points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determine coordinates associated with the points; and

project the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

determine one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises to:

classify ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classify vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classify structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determine a viable area using the one or more features, comprises to:

extract corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determine adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determine the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determine solar irradiance of the viable area.

2. The system as in claim 1 , wherein determining the point cloud includes stitching the multi-view imagery data.

3. The system as in claim 1 , wherein determining the point cloud includes determining point correspondence.

4. The system as in claim 1 , wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises vegetation.

5. The system as in claim 1 , wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises structure.

6. The system as in claim 1 , wherein a feature of the one or more features comprises ground.

7. The system as in claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a solar power configuration.

8. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the solar power configuration is determined based at least in part on an optimization criteria.

9. The system as in claim 8 , wherein the optimization criteria comprise one or more of the following: maximum financial return of the solar system, maximum solar energy generation, or achievement of a system cost target.

10. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the solar power configuration is determined based at least in part on a constraint criteria.

11. The system as in claim 10 , wherein the constraint criteria comprises one or more of the following: a mounting plane limit, an array shape, a component constraint, a minimum irradiance level constraint, a regulatory constraint, a mounting constraint, a racking constraint, or an electrical constraint.

12. The system as in claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the solar power configuration is to be recalculated.

13. The system as in claim 12 , wherein in response to a determination that the solar power configuration is to be recalculated, one or more calculation parameters are adjusted.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the viable area comprises a roof area, a parking lot area, or an open ground area.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the location information comprises an address of the location.

16. A method for determining a viable area for solar radiation, comprising:

receiving location information;

determining, using a processor, multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determining a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises:

combining, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determining points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determining coordinates associated with the points; and

projecting the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

extracting one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises:

classifying ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classifying vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classifying structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determining a viable area using the one or more features, comprises:

extracting corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determining adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determining the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determining a solar irradiance of the viable area.

17. A computer program product for determining a viable area for solar radiation, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving location information;

determining, using a processor, multi-view imagery data based on the location information;

determining a point cloud using the multi-view imagery data, wherein the point cloud comprises a set of three dimensionally specified points representing an upper-most surface of a location associated with the location information, wherein the determining of the point cloud comprises:

combining, using aerial triangulation, a plurality of images of the multi-view imagery data;

determining points corresponding with the combined plurality of images;

determining coordinates associated with the points; and

projecting the points onto images of the earth to obtain the set of three dimensionally specified points;

extracting one or more features using the point cloud, wherein determining the one or more features using the point cloud comprises:

classifying ground points based on a determination of points in a plane;

classifying vegetation points based on a signature associated with points in an infrared image; and

classifying structure points based on a determination of points that are above a ground plane;

determining a viable area using the one or more features, comprises:

extracting corners of a structure of the one or more features;

determining adjacent points based on the corners, wherein the adjacent points have the same orientation or tilt; and

determining the viable area based on the adjacent points; and

determining a solar irradiance of the viable area.