{"id":1525,"date":"2021-11-28T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-28T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/insights\/using-gis-technology-to-find-solar-development-sites\/"},"modified":"2025-02-18T13:28:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T13:28:47","slug":"using-gis-technology-to-find-solar-development-sites","status":"publish","type":"news-and-insights","link":"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/fr\/insights\/using-gis-technology-to-find-solar-development-sites\/","title":{"rendered":"Using GIS Technology to Find Solar Development Sites"},"content":{"rendered":"<!-- Start Block: acf\/wysiwyg -->\n\n<section class=\"wysiwyg section-padding bg-white\">\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n        \n        <div class=\"row\">\n                            <div class=\"col-lg-8 columns js-animated-content animated-content\">\n                                        <p>Like seekers of hidden treasure in ages past, developers of utility-scale solar electric generation facilities are in a race these days to find the optimal places to install arrays of solar panels. Today, instead of X marking the spot, GIS technology marks the spot \u2013 powerful Geographic Information Systems mapping tools that can rapidly, efficiently, and effectively identify the most feasible locations for<a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/markets\/power-and-utilities\/renewables\/solar-power-development\/\"> solar<\/a> power and slash the time needed to bring projects online.<\/p>\n<p>In looking for solar locations, project developers must check off a list of attributes to make the project viable and affordable. Developers need sites that are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Large, relatively flat, non-forested upland.<\/li>\n<li>Close to existing utility substations and transmission lines that can receive the power generated by the proposed development, without a significant cost to upgrade.<\/li>\n<li>Not within, or adjacent to:\n<ul>\n<li>Sensitive habitats<\/li>\n<li>100-year-flood zones<\/li>\n<li>Conservation lands<\/li>\n<li>Or known cultural resource sites<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Up until a few years ago, finding suitable locations could take days, or even weeks, requiring specialists to pore over multiple types of maps to identify ideal placements. If any of the maps were out of date, clients risked unpleasant surprises about just what they would be able to build, how rapidly, and with what level of regulatory review.<\/p>\n<p>Today, experienced GIS professionals at TRC know the best sources of information needed to find sites are often live map services, backed up by multiple databases. TRC uses sophisticated analysis techniques to distill all of this information, make it easy to use and make it available through an interactive webmap helping clients find desirable locations in a matter of hours, rather than days or weeks.<\/p>\n<p>For a client seeking a solar location in a specific vicinity, the first step is to apply GIS to identify and eliminate all the areas that fail to meet the criteria:\u00a0Areas more than two miles away from utility infrastructure, wetlands, excessively hilly or forested terrain, sensitive habitat areas, flood zones, conserved lands, etc. Through web-based tools, we can quickly add in information from the National Wetlands Inventory, National Flood Hazard Layer, Protected Lands of the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency\u2019s Facility Registry Service, utility infrastructure maps, zoning maps, and other sources. Unlike working with printed maps in the past, these databases are constantly updated with the most reliable and timely information. As each new layer of information is applied to the map, more and more areas will be ruled out, and what will quickly become revealed are the areas that best meet the project developer\u2019s site criteria.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important to note, however, the webmap is only as good as the information being loaded into it and the skill and experience of the GIS professional overseeing the process.\u00a0That includes understanding which information matters most.\u00a0 As an example, one of the best ways to find optimal sites quickly and avoid wasting time on fruitless analysis is to filter candidate locations based on interconnection suitability.\u00a0This sort of evaluation requires <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">systems studies and planning services<\/a> \u2013 something that for a GIS professional at TRC can be as simple as reaching out to an engineer right down the hall. All under one roof, we have the expertise to work on culling out any substations that are not suitable for interconnection at the front end so we can focus our efforts, and clients\u2019 time, on only suitable substations. GIS professionals at TRC also have access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">experienced and knowledgeable permitting staff<\/a> which can be helpful if special preservation zones or habitats are uncovered and assessments are needed to determine their impact on solar development.<\/p>\n<p>For utility-scale solar developers, we\u2019re eager to work as your partners in rapidly finding the best sites for your projects. Using abundant GIS data, powerful technology like webmaps and live map services, and instant access to smart TRC people from multiple disciplines, we can help ensure there are no surprises in site conditions when the time comes to build \u2013 and help you beat your competition in the race to meet the constant demand to bring more solar power to the grid.<\/p>\n<p>Please see our blogs on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/\">Solar on Brownfields<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/\">Solar on Landfills<\/a> for related information.<\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"col-lg-4 columns js-animated-content animated-content\">\n                                        <div class=\"wysiwyg__links js-animated-content animated-content\">\n                        <div class=\"wysiwyg__links__top \">\n                                                        <h4>Related Services<\/h4>\n                                                                                    <ul class=\"js-animated-content animated-content\">\n                                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/services\/modern-geospatial-solutions\/\" target=\"_self\">Geospatial Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n                                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/markets\/power-and-utilities\/power-generation\/\" target=\"_self\">Power Generation<\/a><\/li>\n                                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/markets\/power-and-utilities\/renewables\/\" target=\"_self\">Renewables<\/a><\/li>\n                                                                <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/services\/intelligent-grid-solutions\/\" target=\"_self\">Smart Grid Solutions<\/a><\/li>\n                                                            <\/ul>\n                                                    <\/div>\n                                                                                                            <div class=\"wysiwyg__links__bottom\">\n                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/services\" target=\"_self\">View All Services<\/a>\n                                <\/div>\n                                                                                                <\/div>\n                <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<!-- End Block: acf\/wysiwyg -->\n\n<!-- Start Block: acf\/innerpage-cta-bar -->\n<section class=\"global-cta innerpage-cta cta-purple\">\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n        <div class=\"global-cta-wrapper  \">\n                                            <h2>S&rsquo;adapter au <br>changement<\/h2>\n                                <div class=\"global-cta-image\">\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" width=\"316.566\" height=\"369\" viewBox=\"0 0 316.566 369\">\n                        <defs>\n                            <pattern id=\"pattern\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" viewBox=\"117.006 0 316.566 369\">\n                                <image preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid slice\" width=\"655.35\" height=\"369\" href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/GettyImages-174933435.jpg\"><\/image>\n                            <\/pattern>\n                        <\/defs>\n                        <path id=\"Union_8\" data-name=\"Union 8\" d=\"M72.087,369,206.869,190.294h109.7L182.891,369ZM0,195.818H68.4l28.66,44.507L68.4,286.43Zm0-10.747L68.4,94.466l28.66,46.1L68.4,185.071Zm205.769-6.365L72.087,0h109.7L316.566,178.706Z\" fill=\"url(#pattern)\"\/>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"global-cta-content\">\n                    <p>Collaborez avec les praticiens test\u00e9s de TRC<\/p>\n                    <p>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trccompanies.com\/contact-us\/\" title=\"Contact Us\" class=\"btn btn-primary\" >Contact Us<\/a>                    <\/p>\n                <\/div>\n                        \n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<!-- End Block: acf\/innerpage-cta-bar -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Renewable energy developers are in a race to find the optimal places for solar projects. GIS technology identifies the best locations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":9571,"template":"","tags":[397,282,305,234,320],"news-and-insights-category":[363],"services-category":[1005,1003,1018,998],"custom_category":[],"class_list":["post-1525","news-and-insights","type-news-and-insights","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-geospatial-solutions","tag-power-generation","tag-renewables","tag-intelligent-grid","tag-solar-power-development","news-and-insights-category-insights","services-category-electrical-and-power","services-category-engineering","services-category-renewable-energy","services-category-intelligent-grid-solutions"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Using GIS Technology to Find Solar Development Sites - TRC Companies<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Renewable energy developers are in a race to find the optimal places for solar projects. 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