BETTER SOLAR ASSESSMENT

Already well-known for its wind resource assessment tool, 3TIER now introduces a remarkable solar assessment site to match.

For those with a need for highly technical and precise information about wind or solar resources, these are amazing tools.

3TIER introduces Firstlook Solar Assessment; Web-based tool to accelerate development of solar energy sites
Chris park and Joanna Burke, December 12, 2007 (3Tier/APCO Worldwide press release)

WHO
3TIER (Kenneth Westrick, founder/CEO and Brian Reidy, exec vp), National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB)

click to enlarge

WHAT
Firstlook Solar Assessment, a web-based tool to precisely and readily know the solar energy potential of any site.

WHEN
Assessment reports can be generated via the Internet 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 3TIER
- The Firstlook Solar Assessment report gives "monthly solar irradiance, diurnal variability and hourly distribution information" and "the complete hourly time series of global horizontal, direct and diffuse irradiance values for the period 1998-2005." Solar zenith/azimuth angles (each hourly value) are included.
Information is available in real time.
3TIER was founded in 1999.

WHERE
- Assessment reports can be generated via the Internet 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at 3TIER
- With GPS and satellite maps, 3Tier can precisely profile any 10 km square spot in the continental US for its wind and solar resources.
- 3Tier is based in Seattle.

Point click and know how much solar energy is available. (click to enlarge)

WHY
- 3TIER is the largest independent provider of wind, solar and hydro energy assessment and power forecasting worldwide.
- Firstlook Solar Assessment provides highly technical data about any site with pinpoint precision in an easy-to-use, understandable format.
- The technology was developed by Dr. Richard Perez from SUNY Albany. The data set is developed and distributed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
- The online tool provides a free, instant value for "annual average direct normal, global horizontal and diffuse irradiance."

The amount of detailed information provided is impressive. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Westrick, 3TIER: “Before Firstlook, solar developers and consultants had to spend considerable time and money on technical experts capable of wading through and interpreting volumes of data regarding potential solar energy sites…Firstlook Solar eliminates that costly first step…This powerful and innovative tool delivers technical information straight to the user through an easy-to-use web interface. Now anyone can use this assessment tool and receive a thorough, cost-effective power resource report delivered to a laptop within minutes.”
- Brian Reidy, 3TIER: “In June 2007, 3TIER launched Firstlook Wind, also a web-based tool that provides fast, cost-effective, thorough wind and power resource assessments…Since then, people have been using the tool to better understand the value of their wind energy. Because 3TIER’s expertise cuts across all the weather-driven renewables, Firstlook Solar was the logical next step…With the rapidly expanding solar market, developers are looking for the quickest way to find information about potential project sites as well as how to maximize their system’s energy production…Without a doubt, Firstlook Solar provides the smartest, easiest way to do that.”