TransitionZero receives grant from new $100M Banyan Software Foundation to advance open-access solar mapping product

London, UK, 24 September, 2024: Climate analytics non-profit TransitionZero today announced it is the recipient of a $1 million grant from the newly established Banyan Software Foundation. The foundation is endowed with a $100 million commitment of stock over the next four years to support companies that build technology for a greener and more equitable future. The grant will support TransitionZero’s Solar Asset Mapper (TZ-SAM), which uses machine learning to map solar plants globally at the asset level, enhancing systems modelling for better grid operations and planning decisions.

Solar power is the fastest-growing power generation technology in history. Keeping up with this growth by identifying assets and estimating their size is crucial for electricity grid operations and planning. At the same time, with the increased adoption of new technologies including AI, large organisations are faced with balancing a surge in energy needs with decarbonisation commitments.

Matt Gray, Co-founder and CEO of TransitionZero:

“Since launching our Solar Asset Mapper in May, it has over 500 users from government departments, renewable developers, asset managers, energy consultancies, civil society organisations and global media including The Economist and New York Times. This generous grant from the Banyan Software Foundation will allow us to enhance its value and support the organisations and individuals driving the energy transition.”

Updated quarterly, TZ-SAM is an open-access, asset-level global dataset of commercial- and utility-scale solar facilities utilising satellite imagery and machine learning. The TZ-SAM dataset currently contains the location and shape of 63,096 assets across 182 countries, covering close to 19,000 square kilometres with a total estimated capacity of 705 GW.

The $1 million grant from the Banyan Software Foundation will help accelerate the development of new features and improved methodology for TZ-SAM. This includes additional solar asset type metadata, increased accuracy of estimated solar capacities, and continued research into expanding detections to residential solar applications – a primary feature request for TZ-SAM. The TZ-SAM Q3 dataset is set to go-live in October 2024. Sign up here to receive updates.

About TransitionZero

TransitionZero is a climate analytics non-profit established in 2021. We build accessible, auditable and open energy transition planning products, supporting mission-aligned organisations. For more information on how your organisation or initiative can access our data and analytics, visit our website or contact us.

For media interviews, comments or press queries, contact:

Simone Huber - Communications and Marketing Manager, TransitionZero

simone@transitionzero.org