Solar Site Analysis

With ORCaS Solar Site Analysis tools and data, you gain speed, accuracy, compliance, and confidence — driving your solar projects from concept to completion with precision.

Use the right tools at the right time

ORCaS tools were developed to seamlessly integrate into your project workflows and accelerate key stages of solar site development. ORCaS tools are especially powerful in the early project planning (i.e., zero to 30% plan sets) and final design & construction phases (90-100% plan sets).

Find the best location for your next solar project

Ideal for large-scale developers with high project capacity and ambitious development objectives. Partner with ORCaS to deploy automated regional searches that identify new land parcels suitable for solar project development. This custom Solar Site Search evaluates site characteristics, local infrastructure, and proximity requirements for high-voltage integration.

Get rapid insights on project site solar feasibility

Quickly assess prospective solar sites with the Solar Feasibility Forecast. Gain critical insights within minutes and explore high-level optimization options to make data-based decisions. Inform your site selection process, decide which projects to bid on, and vet project concepts before investing in more comprehensive feasibility studies or preliminary site plans.

Learn more about the Solar Feasibility Forecast >

Automate and streamline early-stage workflows

ORCaS Solar Planning & Optimization Studies reduce manual work and human error by automating initial engineering tasks. This helps your team streamline project setup, speed up early planning phases and lower labor costs. Move swiftly from concept to deployable design.

These full studies are comprehensive, precise, and highly customizable, quickly equipping your team with the level of detail needed for feasibility studies, finalized project proposals, early-stage solar design sheets, project financing, solar equipment procurement, and permitting/approvals.

Start a full Planning & Optimization Study >

Rapidly test and optimize design variants

Simultaneously test multiple design parameters, including:

• Grading criteria

• Slope limitations

• Tracker manufacturer and model

• Foundation specifications

• Panel sizes

Get results on demand, avoiding workflow disruptions for minor changes and enabling flexible, multi-path design investigations.

Refine advanced optimization parameters

Discover more value in your projects through further optimization of critical factors like:

• Steel length and weight

• Grading strategy

• Cut/fill ratio

• Buildability

• Unit labor costs

• Power production efficiency

Ensure accuracy and precision in design

ORCaS Construction Documentation Studies build on previous studies and your team’s designs to deliver the precise plans required for confident land preparation, pile pinning, and equipment installation.

Leverage ultra-fine grid modeling at 2-foot resolution for projects under 500MW – adjustable down to 0.25 feet. Achieve exact placement of piles and rows, even on complex terrains, ensuring accurate and reliable designs. Avoid costly errors or delays during construction.

Built-in compliance assurance

Stay compliant with ease:

• Designs align with regulatory standards of local AHJ or governing bodies.

• ORCaS maintains a database of major tracker manufacturer specifications, ensuring designs meet exact tolerances.

• Configurable grading algorithms help maintain natural terrain and vegetation, supporting environmental compliance and site stability, with additional benefits cascading across the project’s construction, insurance, and financial backing.

Mathematically verifiable, with proven reliability

ORCaS provides input and output data that is mathematically verifiable for all supported tracker systems. This transparency allows your team to manually confirm calculations, ensuring designs meet all specifications and reliability standards. ORCaS designs have been used in thousands of built solar projects in the US and abroad — a track record your team can trust.