There are dozens of web apps utilized by solar developers to assist with site selection. The biggest problem we see with these apps? They are not customizable and not a viable enterprise GIS solution. Need a site selection application that also allows your team to enter notes, create customized spatial layers, access thousands of layers, and have dozens of analysis tools at your finger tips? ArcGIS Online is the right solution for you!
The first key to site selection analysis, especially in the solar and wind industries, is reliable parcel data. Within ArcGIS Online, we have access to parcel data from hundreds of counties, and also a handful of states. Texas, for example, has statewide parcel data that is accessible for free through ArcGIS Online.
To get started, we are going to open a new AGOL map, and add a few layers that will be useful for our analysis. In this example, I am going to add the following layers:
County parcel data
Substation layer
USA Flood Hazards layer (from Living Atlas)
Both the county parcel data and the flood hazards layer were accessed through the Add Data button in the web map and the substation layer was published from ArcGIS Pro. At one time, electrical substation data was available through AGOL, however that layer was removed within the past year.
Feel free to add as many layers as necessary, but for this particular example, I am going to continue with just these 3 layers. After you add layers, save the web map and then share as an Experience Builder app to the rest of your organization.
If you are unfamiliar with ArcGIS Online and their app builders, there are 4 options when creating an application. Instant Apps gives you access to a couple dozen "out of the box" applications. Experience Builder is a customizable app builder and should be used when you need to build a custom web mapping application for your organization. Story Maps and Dashboards allow you to tell stories and share Key Performance Indicators.
After selecting an Experience Builder template, the next step will be to add the widgets necessary for GIS site selection. First, add the Analysis widget to your widget toolbar. Like anything in Experience Builder, you will next have to set the parameters for that specific tool.
In the analysis tool setup, add a Spatial analysis tool. 3 tools that are useful for site selection analysis are Summarize Nearby, Summarize Within, and Find by Attributes and Location. For each of these tools, I always prefer to enable "Add Result Layers to Map Automatically" and "Allow Export".
After setting up these analysis tools, take some time to explore and configure other widgets like the Layer List, Legend, Measure, and Basemap Gallery. This is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with additional features that could enhance your mapping application. Once you're satisfied with the layout and functionality of your app, go ahead and save your work, then publish it.
Next, preview your app and zoom in on your county parcel and substation layers. We’ll start by testing the Find by Attributes and Location widget, using the parcels as our input layer and the substations as our comparison layer.
The query builder in this analysis tool is very similar to the query builder you find in ArcGIS Pro. In the example to the left, I built a query that will select all parcels that are greater than 45 acres AND within 2 miles of a substation. I really enjoy having the ability to utilize both an attribute expression and a spatial expression within the same query.
This output layer will be automatically added to the map and we can now turn it on to compare against our initial parcel layer. You will see below, there are 93 parcels that met our spatial and attribute expression.
From here, you can take your GIS analysis even further by examining additional factors like floodplains, wetlands, transmission lines, oil and gas pipelines, slope, and more. With the output layer automatically added to your web map, you gain immediate access to its attribute table, allowing for deeper spatial analysis. This means you can overlay multiple layers, run complex queries, and fine-tune your site selection criteria—all within the same platform. ArcGIS Online makes it easy to iterate on your analysis, ensuring you consider every relevant factor before making critical decisions.
And there you have it—a fully functional, customizable site selection tool built using ArcGIS Online. Whether you're working in solar development or any other industry that requires precise and detailed spatial analysis, this approach gives you the flexibility and power you need. No more settling for generic web apps that don't quite fit your needs. With ArcGIS Online, you can tailor your tools to your specific workflow, making the entire site selection process smoother and more efficient.
So go ahead, dive into ArcGIS Online, and start building your perfect app today. The possibilities are endless, and the benefits for your team could be significant. Happy mapping!
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