Enhancing Solar Project Delivery in Asia Through Digital Oversight and Collaboration
Across Asia, renewable energy growth is accelerating.
Countries such as Korea, Japan and the Philippines are expanding their solar PV portfolios, with both international and local developers seeking greater assurance, quality and visibility during project delivery.
To meet these needs, Mott MacDonald, a global engineering, management and development consultancy, partnered with Above Surveying, a specialist in aerial thermography and digital monitoring for solar assets. Together, they are supporting clients through enhanced oversight, risk identification and remote project visibility.
This case study focuses on the implementation of Above's services during the construction of a 50 MW solar PV project in Korea.
The project marked a significant milestone for the client as they transitioned from smaller distributed solar sites to their first large-scale solar PV project in Korea. This shift introduced a number of new priorities:
Achieving clear, ongoing visibility.
With the increased complexity of a 50 MW site, traditional methods of construction monitoring, such as site visits and manual reporting, risked becoming time-consuming and less scalable. The project team needed a more efficient way to maintain visibility on progress and quality across the entire build.
Coordinating multiple stakeholders.
The project involved various international and local teams, including contractors, consultants and the client’s internal stakeholders. Ensuring that everyone had access to consistent, reliable project data became an important focus.
Adapting to digital-first workflows
As the team introduced new digital tools for construction monitoring and inspection, there was a natural learning curve. This included adapting reporting expectations and aligning processes across the project team.
CHALLENGES
SOLUTION
Mott MacDonald introduced Above Surveying’s platform as part of its engineering proposal, offering an enhanced approach to plant oversight through aerial monitoring and digital data capture. This solution was well received, especially given the scale of the project and the client's interest in improving construction progress visibility.
Pil Lee, Korea Office Lead at Mott MacDonald, explained:
"This was our first time integrating Above’s platform into a large-scale project. It offered us and the client a clear, visual way to track construction progress and prepare for upcoming inspections. It’s a great example of how digital tools can complement technical consultancy."
Above’s technical account management team provided hands-on support throughout, including helping to upload design files, aligning platform inputs with evolving site data, and providing guidance on how to get the most from the tools available. This collaborative approach ensured the platform was tailored to the project’s evolving needs.
KEY OUTCOMES
Stronger client engagement
The platform enabled the client to view site progress remotely, building confidence and encouraging further use of digital oversight tools on future projects.
Alignment and best practice development
The project reinforced the value of early alignment across stakeholders and highlighted the benefits of integrating digital workflows from the outset. These learnings are shaping how similar projects are approached going forward.
Responsive, solutions-focused support
"George from Above was very proactive and helpful," said Pil Lee. "When we had issues importing data, he supported us right away and even managed large file uploads directly to reduce our internal effort."
Scalable approach for future delivery
Mott MacDonald is incorporating lessons from this project to expand its use of digital tools in solar PV delivery across Asia, creating a more efficient and scalable framework for construction monitoring and asset insight.
Unified Data for Lifecycle Oversight
This project has highlighted the value of consolidating all project data within a single platform. From construction monitoring to serial number tracking, on-site issue logging and future thermographic scans, the ability to store and access a complete digital history of the site in one location is now seen as a key benefit. Mott MacDonald recognises that this approach not only improves day-to-day oversight but also strengthens long-term asset management, warranty support and performance optimisation.
FUTURE PLANS WITH ABOVE
Based on this project, Mott MacDonald sees an opportunity to incorporate Above Surveying earlier in the development process. Doing so would enable full digital traceability, from pile installation through to module serial number scanning and thermographic inspections.
"This project shows how important it is to engage all parties from the beginning, including contractors," said Yan Tardif from Mott MacDonald’s digital team. "Having a common data platform benefits everyone, reduces duplication and gives clients a stronger position for warranties or insurance claims."
Mott MacDonald has already expanded the use of Above’s thermographic services on other projects, including a portfolio review across multiple operating assets in Korea. These inspections have helped uncover anomalies and performance issues, strengthening reporting to both clients and lenders.
CONCLUSION
This project demonstrates the power of digital monitoring tools to enhance solar project delivery across construction and operations. With teams and stakeholders often working across multiple locations, Above’s platform provided Mott MacDonald and its client with clear, timely and actionable insights. The collaboration has not only improved visibility and reporting but has also laid the foundation for a smarter, more connected approach to solar asset management in the region. The success of this project is now informing future work and supporting Mott MacDonald’s continued drive for innovation across Asia.
“Having a common data platform benefits everyone, reduces duplication and gives clients a stronger position for warranties or insurance claims.”