JAN 24

It's one thing to decide to go solar...it's quite another to figure out if it will be economical for you. We hear a lot about how cheap wind and solar can be, but if there's no sun or wind where you live, it's never gonna work out.

Which is why it is extremely vital that we have a detailed understanding of where in the world is sunny and windy. Well, to completely eliminate all confusion on that front, we have 3tier's Firstlook service.

The map basically plots a gigantic set of data on wind and solar, and then averages the points between that data set. As such, you can figure out exactly how much solar and wind you can get out of any spot in America (averaged yearly.)

The above map is for solar energy, and it makes it quite clear that the South West is really where solar makes the most sense (see SciAm's Grand Solar Plan for more on that.) Wind (below), on the other hand, when viewed broadly, shows a huge swath of red in the mid-west.

But the real power of this service is that it is ultra-high resolution. If you go and check out your town, you can see the difference between a nearby mountain, a river, and your house. 3Tier says that the technology will help reduce the cost of "siting" solar and wind energy. Though I imagine large projects will still want to do their own analysis, this is fantastic for smaller-scale projects on the local or even individual level.

And if you're interested, check it out for yourself.

Comments (9)

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nice
written by chaka khan, January 24, 2008

Kinda a cool site, Hank. It's a pretty easy tool for people to get a basic look at their options. Peeps like cool functions, colors, and interactive tools... The best place for wind energy in my area, though = in my pants. Thanks for keeping up the news Hank.

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An idea with perfect timing
written by Andrew Moore, January 24, 2008

If you could add hydroelectric and geothermal power generation potential to this, then you could create the blueprint towards sustainable energy for the whole planet. Well done!

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Get solar anyway
written by Drew, January 25, 2008

If a solar arrays ability to produce power reduces with the amount of light hitting it, wouldn't putting it somehwere that doesn't get as much sun light simply "extend" it's physical life. That is, you'll get the same amount of power out of it, but over a longer period of time?

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most appropriate technology
written by chaka khan, January 25, 2008

That logic makes sense, but why use solar if, say, wind or micro hydro are more appropriate for your particular area? If, for example, a micro hydroelectric system provides the power you need, but solar would not, due to lack of light, then why not utilize the technology that is more appropriate?

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Only the beginning ...
written by Bart Nijssen - 3TIER CTO, January 25, 2008

Hank, thanks for highlighting Firstlook on EcoGeek. Although we have had some interest from homeowners and ranchers, the focus of the current site is on commercial and residential applications in the multi-megawatt range. But for Firstlook this is only the beginning and we are working hard at improving the site, its usability, and its applications. The comments are great and are in-line with what we are thinking about, so all I can say for now is to check back often.

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...
written by Rebecca, January 25, 2008

I would love to see one of these for geothermal too!

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A problem with the map...
written by Umlud, January 28, 2008

... is that it doesn't say anything about the wind potential of the Great Lakes and the coasts. One limiting factor of wind power is wind velocity losses caused by all those pesky trees that tend to grow on land. Of course, out in the open waters, no trees, no hills, no mountains. Just wide-open air. If you were to look at wind potential in large water bodies (Great Lakes and the coasts), then the upper Midwest, the and the coasts become much more wind-power promising.

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Wind generator
written by Judy, February 03, 2008

In the 1970s, my late husband, a mechanical engineer invented a wind generator. We were living in Michigan at the time and had an average wind of 5 mi. per hour year around. His wind generator could be mounted next to a house and could produce most of the electricity a home for a family of 4 would need.

After his untimely death (at age 30), I gave the plans to my brother, a monk at Prince of Peace Abby in Oceanside, CA. My brother constructed the device and has lit a meditation walk for the past 35 years with it.

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researcher
written by windysue, September 16, 2009

FirstLook is a nice tool, but there is no way for 3TIER to make money with it. Use it while you can. 3TIER laid off 19 more people today.

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