Solar Site Assessment

What is solar site assessment?

Investors need to understand the specific site requirements and conditions that help to optimise a solar power plant’s output. A solar site analysis involves evaluation of site suitability, solar access, shadowing considerations and other variables.

Why is choosing the right site important?

Investments in large solar plants require accurate estimation of the site’s suitability in order to ensure the viability of the project. A site estimation protects your investment by assessing geological conditions as well as providing an estimation of yield derived independently from contractors or product suppliers. The solar radiation measurements performed at a site assessment also increase the accuracy of a yield study.

TÜV SÜD assures that decisions made in the early stages meet various requirements and stakeholder expectations.

TÜV SÜD helps you understand the site selection criteria for a solar power plant, and provides a reliable basis for final site selection and other decision-making. We analyse various site characteristics that impact the energy yield, project completion and lifetime of a solar power plant. We also review the geotechnical, environmental and climatic conditions in the area and evaluate terrain usability to determine accessibility for grid connection.

Our solar site assessments include:

• Measurement of solar access
  

  TÜV SÜD’s measurements are based on highly reliable modelling techniques using information on cloud cover, atmospheric water vapour, trace gasses and the amount of aerosols in the atmosphere. Solar access and shadowing influence will also be evaluated.

• Evaluation of influence from surroundings
  

  Our experts examine the influence of the area surrounding the solar plant. This includes vegetation; access and entry to the construction site up to unloading, storage or construction; industrial installations; electric transmission and distribution lines accessible for interconnecting to the grid; as well as general topographic suitability.

• Identification of pollution sources
  

  Many factors affect the efficiency of cells in solar panels including climate, fog, rain, snow, altitude and industrial air pollution. We evaluate the specific environment, surrounding industrial installations, infrastructure and other conditions that could require more frequent module cleaning.

• Assessment of soil suitability
  

  We determine the hydro-geological conditions for your solar power plant by assessing the risk of erosion and floods during storms and hazards. Our assessment uses parameters such as morphology, soil conditions and land cover. We perform geotechnical soil studies to find a suitable solution for the foundation of the module support construction.