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.  

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLORADO - MapMart, the most extensive online source of mapping and image data sets, announced the availability of wind speed and solar irradiance data to complement existing MapMart data sets.  These new GIS data layers were created by 3TIER, a global leader in renewable energy information services.  

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.