What it measures
The composite aggregates SiteIQ, TerrainIQ, YieldIQ, and (when run) RevenueIQ signals. BESS co-location is informational only and does not feed the score.
Composite weighting by workflow stage
Weights redistribute until YieldIQ and RevenueIQ complete:
Partial composite (SiteIQ + TerrainIQ)
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Grid / Regulatory | 30% |
| Terrain | 32% |
| Land Use | 15% |
| Flood Risk | 15% |
| Solar Resource | 8% |
Full composite (after YieldIQ)
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Grid / Regulatory | 22% |
| Terrain | 22% |
| Energy Yield | 18% |
| Land Use | 15% |
| Flood Risk | 15% |
| Solar Resource | 8% |
With economic viability (after RevenueIQ)
| Factor | Weight |
|---|---|
| Grid / Regulatory | 18% |
| Terrain | 18% |
| Energy Yield | 16% |
| Economic viability | 20% |
| Land Use | 13% |
| Flood Risk | 10% |
| Solar Resource | 5% |
Grid proximity → Grid / Regulatory factor
Straight-line distance to the nearest OpenStreetMap-mapped substation (not cable route length). The on-screen label and the numeric factor score use the same bands — calibrated for utility-scale ground mount.
| Distance | Label | Factor score |
|---|---|---|
| ≤ 1 km | Excellent | 91–95 |
| 1–3 km | Good | 84–90 |
| 3–8 km | Moderate | 70–84 |
| 8–20 km | Challenging | 52–70 |
| > 20 km | Remote | ≤ 52 |
Scores interpolate linearly within each band. Examples: 3.0 km → ~84/100 · 12.0 km → 64/100 (Challenging) · 20.0 km → 52/100. A 12 km site is workable but interconnection cost and timeline weigh on the composite — not a failing score.
Other screening tiers
Solar, flood, and initial terrain use tier labels mapped to 0–100. TerrainIQ replaces the screening terrain tier with a dedicated score.
| Screening label | Typical factor score |
|---|---|
| Excellent | 95 |
| Good | 82 |
| Low (flood) | 85 |
| Moderate | 65 |
| Challenging | 45 |
| Critical | 20 |
| Unknown / not found | 50–55 |
Overall verdict bands
| Composite score | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent |
| 80–89 | Very Good |
| 70–79 | Good |
| 60–69 | Acceptable |
| 45–59 | Challenging |
| 0–44 | Critical |
After TerrainIQ, the composite is pulled toward a terrain-based ceiling (terrain score + 15 points) — 50% of any gap above that ceiling is removed. Poor terrain always costs real points, but cannot single-handedly override several strong factors.