3TIER’s GIS data layers detail wind and solar energy potential across the U.S. They can be combined with third-party layers, such as land ownership, population density, topography, and transmission and transportation infrastructure to identify optimal locations for renewable energy development. They enable spatial analysis ranging from quick and simple to highly complex. The 3TIER data sets are available now for purchase from the MapMart.com data portal.
“The wind or solar resource is the fuel of a renewable energy project,” said Gwen Bender, product manager at 3TIER. “Having that information available spatially enables users to combine it with the other critical variables that affect the viability of a renewable energy site. Users can quickly hone in on the most promising locations, while also identifying potential red flags early in the process. This type of analysis is key to successfully siting wind and solar projects.”
3TIER, which provides renewable resource assessment and forecasting services to the world’s largest developers, uses state-of-the art science to derive the resource data found in the GIS data layers. Wind speed values were determined using a physics-based numerical weather prediction modeling approach, which simulates the interaction between the earth’s surface and the entire atmosphere. Solar irradiance values are based on over a decade of 2 arc-minute resolution satellite imagery from around the world, and processed using a combination of in-house research and peer-reviewed algorithms. The data are compatible with a wide variety of software packages, and data customization is also available.
“We are pleased to introduce 3TIER into the MapMart family of data for users all over the world,” said Rebecca Murray, product manager for MapMart. “As many of the more obvious locations for renewable energy are exploited, developers increasingly need to rely on data to find the best of the next tier. MapMart now offers them a range of products to do that effectively.”
MapMart sells a wide variety of U.S. and International geospatial data sets, with additional data coming online daily that can be complemented by the 3TIER wind and solar data to serve a variety of purposes. Some of the products currently available include:
- DigitalGlobe Satellite and Aerial Imagery
- GeoEye Satellite Imagery
- SPOT Imagery
- RapidEye Imagery
- Aerials Express Imagery
- Microsoft Imagery
- Pictometry International Oblique and Orthogonal
- Terrametrics TruEarth Imagery
- Harris Globe15 and Conus10 Imagery
- DeLorme World and North American Street data
- EASI Demographics
- Intermap DEM data
- HIDEM worldwide DEM data
