3TIER's products provide a 10+ year irradiance dataset, calibrated to observational data if available, and include a wind and temperature climatology to give developers a comprehensive, long-term outlook of their operating environment.

“A year of observational data simply doesn’t provide enough information to make a prudent investment in a solar project,” said Kenneth Westrick, founder and CEO of 3TIER, a leader in renewable energy information services. “However, 3TIER can use that data to correct biases in our solar irradiance dataset to help developers understand, with greater accuracy, the long-term variability of their solar resource.

"Another important consideration is wind and temperature," he continued, "as they affect the efficiency
of PV and other solar technologies. Their impacts are significant and need to be factored in for a complete analysis of solar resources.”

The products are based on 3TIER’s 10+ year solar irradiance dataset. They also leverage 3TIER’s expertise in numerical weather prediction (NWP) modeling, a capability the company has developed as a leading innovator in wind energy assessment and forecasting. The new products feature a complete wind and temperature time-series, as well as the option of using observational data to correct biases in the solar irradiance dataset, providing a full 10-year irradiance time-series.