Solar energy is on the cutting edge of technology. The fuel is free, but fuel availability varies with time and location. Therefore it is important to accurately assess the resource availability before you build your project.

FirstLook is the first and only online tool that allows you to choose sites based on science, not luck. What used to take days in the field now takes minutes at your desk.

Simply locate your proposed site, evaluate it with the most advanced resource maps ever created, and generate a comprehensive renewable energy assessment, delivered straight to your computer. It couldn't be easier or more cost-effective. A FirstLook site report can be yours in minutes.

Cost-Effective: FirstLook delivers a complete solar assessment for less than one-tenth the cost of a meteorological tower or traditional assessment report.

Fast: FirstLook provides a thorough solar resource assessment, including detailed site statistics — all within minutes.

Powerful: FirstLook utilizes advanced scientific modeling techniques and the latest wind and solar radiation models to tell you what time of year and day you can expect the best resource availability at your site.

Easy: FirstLook features an easy-to-use web interface and an order process that is accessible anywhere and anytime.

Relevant: FirstLook gives you the best available baseline supported by the latest scientific assessment methods so you can make the right decision — whether you have one site or several hundred.

Innovative: FirstLook advances the resource assessment process with a revolutionary, easy-to-use tool. The report format is standardized for all sites, helping improve the productivity of your due-diligence process.

Some examples of how you can put FirstLook to work for you:

Find the right spot
With one click, FirstLook gives you a free irradiance assessment, showing you how good the solar resource really is. From hourly irradiance distributions to a 12-month analysis, FirstLook gives you the knowledge you need to get more value from your project.

The developer's dilemma
When you are looking at multiple locations, how do you know that you are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges? FirstLook provides a consistent, seamless, national solar irradiance map and a standard set of reports, so you have a clear picture of the risks for every potential site in your portfolio.

Getting the green light
Whether you are applying for a federal grant or looking for initial financing from a private fund — use FirstLook to provide a quick and cost-efficient third-party validation of your project. FirstLook gives you and your financier a complete understanding of the immediate opportunity and the long-term value.

Information from the map-based viewer, such as average annual irradiance is available for free to all registered users. Detailed assessment reports for your location are available for purchase.

The existing FirstLook solar database for the continental United States is based on the 10 km satellite-derived data set for the years 1998-2005 developed by Dr. Richard Perez from SUNY Albany. The dataset is based on satellite observations and is part of the new National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) developed and distributed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

3TIER has evaluated the quality of the FirstLook solar estimates based on the information that accompanies the data source (SUNY/NREL) and the length of the data record. Each custom FirstLook report contains a confidence rating of the average annual and monthly solar irradiance values. The annual averages have a standard error of 10% for global horizontal and diffuse irradiance and 16% for direct normal irradiance. This means that we are 68% confident that the long-term mean falls within the reported value plus or minus one standard error.

Note that in some areas with highly reflective terrain, such as salt flats and some areas with permanent snow, the satellite algorithms have difficulty distinguishing clouds from snow. As a result, the cloudiness estimates in these areas are too high and the amount of global horizontal and direct normal radiation is underestimated. The diffuse radiation in these areas is overestimated. Known areas affected by these problems include the Bonneville salt flats on the Nevada-Utah border and the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

FirstLook is brought to you by 3TIER, a leading provider of assessment and forecast information for the renewable energy sector. For more information about 3TIER, go online to www.3tiergroup.com.

The intensity of the solar radiation at a given location depends on your latitude, terrain, season, time of day and atmosperic conditions. For example, clouds, dust, and water vapor all affect the amount of radiation that reaches the surface at any given location.

The FirstLook irradiance estimates do not directly account for local shades and shadows. The reported values provide an estimate of the average amount of solar radiation in a 10x10 km (about 6 x 6 miles) area surrounding your location. As a result, you need to take your local conditions into account when interpreting the FirstLook estimates.

The amount of radiation received by the surface can be expressed as the amount of energy received by a unit of surface area per unit time. Note that energy per unit of time is called power.

The most common units for expressing the amount of solar radiation received by an object are Watts per square meter (W/m²) or kiloWatt-hours per square meter per day (kWh/m²/day).

The Watt is a unit of power, which is equal to one Joule per second. Somewhat confusingly, a kiloWatt-hour is a unit of energy, equal to exerting 1 kiloWatt of power (1000 Watts) during a one hour period. Consequently, 1 kWh is equal to 3.6 million Joules. It is the amount of energy needed to power one 100W light bulb for ten hours.

1 kWh/day is equal to 41.67 W.

The radiation reaching the earth's surface can be represented in a number of different ways. Global horizontal irradiance is the total amount of shortwave radiation received from above by a horizontal surface. This value is of particular interest to photovoltaic installations and includes both direct radiation and diffuse radiation.

Direct radiation is solar radiation that comes from the direction of the solar disk in the sky. Diffuse radiation is solar radiation that has been scattered by molecules and particles in the atmosphere and comes equally from all directions.

On a clear day, most of the solar radiation received by a horizontal surface will be direct radiation, while on a cloudy day most will be diffuse radiation.

Direct Normal Irradiance is the amount of direct radiation received per unit area by a surface that is always held perpendicular (normal) to the rays that come directly from the direction of the solar disk in the sky. By keeping the surface normal to the incoming radiation, you maximize the amount of energy received. This quantity is of particular interest to concentrating solar installations and installations that track the position of the sun.

Diffuse Irradiance is the amount of diffuse radiation received per unit area by any surface that is not subject to any shade or shadow. Since the diffuse component of radiation is more or less equal from all directions, there is no distinction between a normal and horizontal component.

Choose either the Wind or Solar tab.

Choose the radiation component (direct normal, global horizontal or diffuse).

Enter your location using a variety of methods: latitude and longitude, street address, or zip code.

Buy a complete solar assessment report for your location with the raw data.

Navigate using the familiar Google Maps interface by zooming in and out and clicking on the location of interest.

Use "Map" mode to see roads and locations. Use "Satellite" mode to see satellite images. Use "Hybrid" mode to see both. Use "Terrain" mode to see the terrain.

Receive a free, average annual solar irradiance estimate for any location. For areas that are not yet covered by FirstLook an estimated release date is provided.

Currently, registered users can get free annual solar irradiance estimates for any location in the continental United States.

As part of its REmapping the World™ initiative, 3TIER will expand FirstLook to cover most of the global land surface areas. Beginning in 2009, we will release solar resource assessment maps for regions around the world at a quarterly basis. For areas outside the United States, the map interface shows you when interactive solar data are expected to be available.

To accelerate the development of the global data set and to provide higher resolution data, 3TIER offers sponsorships on a country by country basis. For questions about sponsorship of wind and solar resource maps for specific countries or regions, please call us at 1-206-325-1573 or email us at sponsorships@3tiergroup.com.

The FirstLook map shows the annual average value for the quantity that is selected.

FirstLook solar estimates are currently only available in the continental United States, but 3TIER is working hard to extend coverage.

Within the continental United States, the FirstLook solar map overlay is disabled at the highest zoom level to make it easier to read the underlying map or satellite image. Solar irradiance estimates are still updated as you click on new locations, so please continue to look around.

FirstLook gives you annual mean values for Global Horizontal (GHI), Direct Normal (DNI), and Diffuse (DIF) irradiance.

FirstLook presents definitions and error estimates for each irradiance value.

FirstLook shows you the average annual solar irradiance for Global Horizontal (GHI), Direct Normal (DNI), and Diffuse (DIF) for the area around your site (50 km by 50 km or 31 miles by 31 miles).

FirstLook shows you the average monthly solar irradiance for GHI, DNI, and DIF values for each month of the year and includes the standard error for each value.

FirstLook presents plots for average monthly values of diurnal variability for GHI, DNI, and DIF.

FirstLook gives you 12x24 tables of diurnal variability for GHI, DNI, and DIF values, which are a quick and easy way to assess your solar resource.

FirstLook shows you histograms of the hourly distribution of GHI, DNI, and DIF values.

The FirstLook solar report is accompanied by a data file that includes the complete hourly time series of global horizontal, direct and diffuse irradiance values for the period 1998-2005. 3TIER has added solar zenith and azimuth angles to each hourly value to facilitate further analysis.

Complete solar assessment report reflecting the solar resource at your site, delivered in pdf format, including:

• 24/7/365 availability

• 10 km national solar map over continental United States

• based on hourly satellite observations for the period 1998-2005

As part of its REmapping the World™ initiative, 3TIER will map the entire world according to the release schedule indicated on the clickable world map. To accelerate the development of the global data set and to provide higher resolution data, 3TIER offers sponsorships on a country by country basis.

For questions about sponsorship of wind and solar resource maps for specific countries or regions, please call us at 1-206-325-1573 or email us at sponsorships@3tiergroup.com.

3TIER can provide you with additional in-depth assessment and forecasting services. For more information, go online to www.3tiergroup.com