Renewables site identification and characterization

Helping developers make smart siting decisions for early stage renewable energy projects to streamline permitting processes and minimize the cost of energy.

Choosing the best possible site for your new renewable energy project can have big impact on the overall cost of the energy it produces. Furthermore, smart siting decisions early-on lead to easier permitting processes down the road. But once you have chosen a broad area or multiple potential sites, how do you narrow it down to a specific site?

Identifying, characterizing, and ranking sites

Our Site selection and characterization services support development decisions by providing a comprehensive multi-criteria constraints analysis, to assess potential 'buildable lands' and project feasibility. This helps developers to:

  • Identify the most promising sites and locations for development
  • Understand potential permitting requirements and studies 
  • Consider potential financial and schedule  implications
  • Rank potential sites

Utilizing our tailor-made geographical information system (GIS) analysis, we consider wind or solar resources, terrain complexity, proximity to interconnection, and sensitive natural features within the context of applicable regulations for a specific jurisdiction. This fully integrated GIS approach is a holistic perspective for early stage potential assessment, considering cost, energy, environmental impacts, social considerations, and development risk; thus leading to successful renewable energy development.

Comprehensive service

Our in-house GIS experts boast an unrivalled breadth of technical expertise. We have reviewed siting and constraints for more than 25,000 MW of renewable energy projects over the last 10 years. Through these projects, we have developed strong relationships with many different agencies, enabling us to obtain data quickly and efficiently. In addition, our own proprietary databases allow us to integrate data obtained from experience – ensuring you receive accurate and comprehensive recommendations.

Related information

Have a look at our related services.

Renewables project engineering

DNV gives you all the renewables project engineering support you need through every stage of building and managing an energy project.