There are a few differences when it comes to the data options available for identifying DG substations. This article offers a breakdown of the various options.
Public hosting capacity maps
Where available, these are typically already loaded into each state's layers menu. We have hosting capacity maps loaded in for specific states/utilities.
You can overlay the hosting capacity layer. You can then save the feeder/substation location to use in your parcel search.
Alternatively, if the hosting capacity is more of a raster layer (like Xcel's in MN), you can trace out the feeder route to then use in your parcel search.
Also see our article Hosting capacity map layers for siting.
Use public EIA substations and lines
This is a public dataset that is predownloaded in each state in PVcase Prospect. This source tends to have 69 kV and higher subs and lines, but there can be lower voltage lines and, especially substations, as well. However, it won't have all DG subs and certainly won't have most DG lines.
If you're targeting subs, especially in an area that does not have a public hosting capacity map, this could be a good option.
Locate and trace/map DG subs and lines manually
In areas without public hosting capacity maps or where the EIA subs and lines are not sufficient, you can always look at the satellite imagery (and the Google Street View tool) to manually trace out the feeder routes and substation locations.
If you're doing this in Google Earth already, you can always import lines or subs right from a KMZ so that you don't need to re-trace them.
These subs and lines are only saved to your database (i.e. this data is NOT shared with other companies)
Purchase PVcase DG data
We know manually locating and tracing DG infrastructure can be a huge constraint for DG developers doing greenfield searches -- particularly in markets without hosting capacity maps (OH, NM, PA, etc.). To address this, we have built our own DG dataset that is available for purchase by state to give you a starting point to build up on for DG substations and lines (includes estimated line voltage).
We have data available for purchase for all US states. This data shows the location of our estimated grid infrastructure. We used AI to map this data from satellite imagery, so it does not include capacity data, circuit metadata, or other details. We did not get this information from the utilities.
This dataset is by no means perfect, but makes it easier to jump into parcel searches more quickly at scale.
Data starts at $10k per state per year and there are discounts for multi-state packages. States may also be swapped during that time frame (just ask that you maintain a given DG state for at least 30 days before swapping it to something else).