Web-Based Applications for Solar Project Planning

Authors: James Kuiper, Daniel Ames, Randy Lee, Ted Quinby
Presenter: James Kuiper, M.S. Biometrics, Cert. Remote Sensing, Environmental Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
Affiliations: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois; Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah; Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho; National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado

Abstract: Determining economically viable locations for solar energy projects depends on many factors, including the level of the solar energy resource, land ownership and use, potential environmental impacts, grid connectivity, and many others. This forum session will highlight public web-based mapping applications sponsored by the u.s. Department of energy to aid in analyzing solar energy project siting decisions. We will discuss all of the web applications and their associated projects and then demonstrate each tool. Pvmapper (http://pvmapper.com/) provides tools for macro‑ and micro‑siting of photovoltaic solar energy plants. The eastern interconnection states’ planning commission (eispc) energy zones mapping tool (http://eispctools.anl.gov/) facilitates planning for clean energy zones, and provides an extensive library of energy resource and other siting factors as mapping layers, models to map suitability for solar energy and other technologies, and region‑specific reports. Solar energy environmental mapper (http://solarmapper.anl.gov/) concentrates on the southwestern united states and was developed to support the solar energy development programmatic environmental impact statement and its analysis of solar energy zones in the six southwestern states. Solar prospector (http://maps.nrel.gov/prospector) is a mapping and analysis tool designed to provide access to geospatial data relevant to the solar industry in general and for the siting of utility-scale solar plants in particular. Nrel’s pvwatts calculator (http://pvwatts.nrel.gov) determines the energy production and cost savings of grid-connected photovoltaic (pv) energy systems and allows homeowners, small building owners, installers, manufacturers, and researchers to easily develop estimates of the performance of hypothetical pv installations.