Site selection and site analysis | PVcase

Uncover high-potential sites faster and smarter — match project criteria with unique, integrated data for scalable renewable success.

Make confident, data-driven decisions

Access hundreds of datasets out-of-the-box. All key grid, land, and site analysis data for smarter site selection.

Made to share

Get buy-in quickly internally and with investors and landowners through comprehensive exports and detailed reports.

Accelerate site identification

Instantly surface suitable parcels with automated, criteria-based searches.

Reveal project potential in real time

Visualize buildable areas, constraints, and grid access on interactive maps for real-time, teamwide collaboration.

Prospect

Shorten site assessment from weeks to minutes, empowering your team to evaluate more sites and accelerate your development pipeline.

PVcase Prospect’s advanced site assessment enables a streamlined, four-step process:

1. Target the right points of interconnection

Find the right POIs with substation, transmission line, and distribution grid data. Evaluate interconnection and energy markets.

2. Input your project criteria

Specify your requirements, including desired parcel size and acceptable distance from substations or power lines.

3. Run automated search

Leverage an intelligent search engine to automatically identify and highlight parcels that match your criteria.

4. Analyze potential sites

Analyze site for all key hazards and calculate buildable acreage and create constraint maps. Access key parcel details, including parcel size, location, boundaries, parcel ID / cadastral references.

Unlike traditional site selection methods and other tools that require manual data handling, PVcase Prospect empowers you with:

Updated GIS data

Instantly access hundreds of datasets out-of-the-box including power grid, infrastructure, environmental, economic layers and more.

Seamless workflow

Transition smoothly from initial site assessment to detailed feasibility analysis within a single, integrated solution.

Intuitive interface

Empower your entire team with an easy-to-use solution that doesn't require specialized GIS expertise.

Client experience

“Best software solution for development in existence”

Ransom Cook

VP of Development, CME Energy

4.7 +377 reviews

One end-to-end platform for site selection, design, and yield optimization

Frequently asked questions

What is site assessment for renewable energy projects, and why is it important?

Site assessment for renewable energy projects is a structured and crucial initial process to identify potential land parcels suitable for development. It involves evaluation of various factors influencing a project's buildability, security, and economic viability. Site assessment is essential because it enables project developers to pinpoint the most promising locations by intelligently combining relevant evaluation criteria, such as interconnection potential, proximity to the grid, zoning, buildable area/hazard analysis, and initial layouts. Such early-stage analysis ensures that resources are focused on viable sites, minimizing risks and maximizing the potential for successful project development.

How does PVcase Prospect automate the site assessment process?

PVcase Prospect automates site assessment by integrating hundreds of essential geospatial datasets as well as grid and market intelligence data all into one cloud-based platform. Renewables-focused workflows guide developers through key phases of analysis from grid assessment to automated parcel searches, hazard analysis, and more. This eliminates manual GIS work to locate and integrate disparate data sources/formats and creates consistent, streamlined workflows that empower project developers to find suitable sites faster and at scale.

What kind of data does PVcase Prospect use for renewable energy site assessment?

PVcase Prospect comes out-of-the-box with all the essential data for renewable energy development. This includes grid infrastructure data (such as substations, transmission lines, distribution grid), full interconnection studies/headroom capacity, nodal LMPs, interconnection queue, parcel data, hazards, zoning, Energy Communities, and more. Having this comprehensive dataset in one platform enables informed site selection based on proximity to necessary infrastructure and project-specific requirements.

Can PVcase Prospect identify the best locations for renewable energy projects while considering slope and protected areas?

Yes, project developers can quickly go from finding sites that are sufficiently large and close to the grid to doing detailed buildability analyses that evaluate slope/terrain, slope aspect, and key hazards like flood zones, waterways, protected areas, existing infrastructure, and more. PVcase Prospect offers the leading constraint mapping analysis available and helps users identify optimal areas to build on within seconds. From there, it’s simple to jump into initial layouts or even go right into detailed design with PVcase Ground Mount.

How is PVcase Prospect different from traditional GIS software for site selection in the renewable energy industry?

PVcase Prospect differs from traditional GIS software by offering an all-in-one purpose-built renewable energy site assessment solution that combines hundreds of datasets with workflow automation. Traditional GIS tools require users to manually find, adapt, and format data from various sources/vendors and spend time writing custom scripts to automate even basic steps. GIS systems are typically expensive, linear to scale, slow, and not user-friendly for project developers. We enable your teams to focus on what each does best, so your developers can find the best sites quickly while freeing up your GIS team to focus on overall database management, not building and maintaining custom software solutions.

Can PVcase Prospect be used for data center site assessment?

Yes, PVcase Prospect is a versatile tool and supports data center site assessment effectively as there are many similar considerations as renewable energy project siting. Our platform enables data center project developers to de-risk, site, and analyze land quickly based on interconnection potential (sufficient withdrawal capacity, upgrade/allocated costs budget), proximity to fiber routes and power infrastructure, energy markets pricing (LMPs), wastewater locations, and suitable topography. By bringing all these key datasets into one platform and layering in workflow automation, you can quickly find optimal sites for data centers, saving time and reducing manual research efforts.

PVcase Prospect is the new way of working

Turn complexity into clarity and confidently move your solar project forward.