Site Survey

A site survey is an analysis of a specific location for its electricity generation potential.  Every site is different, but your system is going to be installed in a specific location.  You need to determine what types and amounts of energy (solar, wind, water) are available to you - and what proportion of those resources will provide you with the most reliable system.

A solar array needs to be located where it will receive the maximum amount of sunlight.  With seasonal variations in the sun’s declination, and possible shading from hills, trees and buildings, finding the best spot for the solar array can be difficult, but Smart Energy is well able to do this for you.

Wind is a less easy resource to survey.  Local experience is sometimes required, or the installation of a monitoring tower at the proposed site, which then collects data over a year’s period, indicating whether the site is suitable for a generator, and which type would work best.  Checking for vegetation “flagging”  and of locally recorded wind data may also be required to establish suitability of site.  NIWA can often provide local wind data at a price, but this is a good investment to ensure that mistakes on anticipated power generation are avoided.

Surveying micro-hydro sites does not need to be difficult, but an understanding of annual stream characteristics is required, and an idea of how much water and head is required to meet the load predicted.  We can help with advice on how to proceed.