Solar Site Assessment

What is solar site assessment?

Solar site assessment is the process of evaluating a potential location for installing a solar energy system. This assessment is crucial to to support a future installation of a solar energy system and ensure that it will operate efficiently. Investors need to understand the specific site requirements and conditions that help to optimise a solar power plant’s output. A solar site assessment involves the evaluation of site suitability, solar access, shadowing considerations, site approach, power evacuation and other variables.

Why is choosing the right site important?

Investments in solar plants require an accurate estimation of the site’s suitability to ensure the project's viability. A solar site evaluation protects your investment by assessing geological conditions as well as providing an estimate of yield derived independently from contractors or product suppliers. The solar radiation measurements performed at the site also increase the accuracy of a yield study. Solar site analysis is thus critical for ensuring efficient system operations.

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

TÜV SÜD’s solar power site assessment 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. During the solar power assessment process, we analyse various site characteristics that impact the energy yield, project completion and lifetime of a solar power plant. We also review the area’s geotechnical, environmental, and climatic conditions 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 solar radiations, cloud cover, atmospheric water vapour, trace gasses and the number of aerosols in the atmosphere. Solar access and shadowing influence will also be evaluated as a part of solar site inspection.

• 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 solar resource 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.

WHY CHOOSE TÜV SÜD?

TÜV SÜD is a reputable and experienced solar PV site assessment service provider with a team of qualified experts who can offer comprehensive assessments of a site's solar energy potential and technical feasibility. TÜV SÜD has a global presence and is well-versed in local regulations, ensuring that assessments comply with relevant standards and guidelines. TÜV SÜD's site assessments for solar PV are based on cutting-edge technology and industry best practices, providing clients with accurate and reliable information to make informed decisions about their solar energy projects.