Renewable Energy Potential for 

Brownfield Redevelopment Strategies

Renewable energy resources are available throughout the United States. The National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory (NREL) performs analysis to identify high-potential sites for renewable energy 

technologies and can help determine those technologies most suitable for a brownfield site. 

Wind

Wind power can be well-suited to brownfield 

redevelopment due to the widespread availability of 

the resource, cost-competitiveness of wind power, 

and the flexibility in the size and number of turbines 

that can be installed. The quality of the wind resource 

varies across the United States. Wind farms typically 

require class 4 or better wind resource. Generally 

speaking, the higher-quality wind resource is in the 

western half of the United States, with some good 

quality resource around the northern and central 

Appalachian range, and near the Great Lakes region 

(see Figure 1). 

The criteria that must be met for a brownfield site 

to be considered as high potential for wind power 

redevelopment include:

• Class 4 or greater wind resource

• Greater than 50 acres

• Less than 20% slope

• Located within 25 miles to transmission and road

Renewable Energy Resource Availability

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP)

Parabolic trough is the type of concentrating solar 

power (CSP) that is most commercialized and costcompetitive at this time. Parabolic trough CSP is used 

for grid-connected applications so it is best suited to 

brownfields that are within a reasonable distance to 

existing transmission, and to sites that have larger 

footprints to allow for a sufficient-size system for 

economic feasibility. The quality of the CSP resource 

is greatest in the southwestern United States (see 

Figure 2). 

The ideal brownfield for CSP redevelopment must at 

least meet the below criteria:

• At least 40 acres

• Less than 1% slope

• Located within 25 miles to existing transmission 

and roads

Figure 1. Wind Resource Availability

Figure 2. Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) Resource 

Availability 

Photovoltaics (PV)

On-site PV is an ideal candidate for brownfield 

redevelopment due, in part, to its flexible installment 

options. State-level incentives for PV system purchase 

and installation can make on-site PV an even 

more attractive choice. For a listing of state-level 

incentives, visit the Database of State Incentives for 

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (DSIRE) at 

http://www.dsireusa.org/. The entire United States, 

with the exception of a portion of the Northwest, has 

adequate PV resource quality (see Figure 3). Thus, the 

decision to install a PV system depends on the power 

requirements at a particular site, as well as sitespecific economic considerations, including available 

incentives. On-site PV can be a particularly financially 

attractive alternative for remote brownfields that 

are in an area where grid connection is not feasible 

because of distance or cost.

Figure 3. Photovoltaics (PV) Resource Availability

Biomass

Biomass is a broad category of renewable energy 

that can be well-suited to brownfield redevelopment 

(see Figure 4). There are multiple biomass 

applications with varying suitability to brownfields. 

Given economic and technological considerations, 

the most suitable at this time are growing biomass, 

producing corn ethanol, and generating biopower. 

The renewable energy technology-specific criteria 

varies, depending on the particular biomass 

application under consideration (see table). 

Figure 4. Biomass Resource Availability

Criteria Growing Biomass 

for Biofuels

Dry Mill Corn Ethanol Plant 

or Biopower Plant

Minimum 

Parcel Size

>= 200 acres >=50 acres

Resource Crop residues 

>=100,000 tonnes/yr

Dry Mill Corn Ethanol Plant: 

Crop residues >=100,000 tonnes/yr

Biopower plant: All residues 

>=150,000 tonnes/yr

Distance to Road <= 50 miles <= 50 miles

Distance to 

Transmission

NA <= 10 miles

Distance to 

existing plant

<= 50 miles NA

1) Evaluate the Renewable Energy Resource.

Renewable energy resources are widely available 

throughout the United States. Considering 

the quality of the resource is the first step in 

determining the potential for redevelopment 

using a renewable energy technology. 

2) Consider Renewable Energy TechnologySpecific Criteria. Each renewable energy 

technology has specific criteria (such as 

minimum parcel size and slope) that must be 

met to determine its suitability to a brownfield. 

3) Determine the “Community” Factors. 

Considerations such as the economic, 

environmental, and societal benefits are also 

key. These can include local revenue, applying 

non-emitting “green” technologies, and 

neighborhood revitalization. 

Process Illustration

One illustration of this process is an analysis that 

was conducted in Florida, where NREL looked at 

applications for both PV and biomass. Although we 

use this one state as an example, we can apply this 

process to any area of the United States that has 

adequate data. The following maps show the results 

of this one-state evaluation. 

Figure 5 shows the location of 119 brownfield sites 

in Florida.

 Figure 5. Location of Florida’s Brownfield Sites

The PV resource in Florida can support PV applications. 

Most brownfields with on-site power requirements may 

be considered as ideal candidates for PV.

Figure 6. PV Resource Availability with All Brownfield Sites

The available biomass resource makes Florida a promising state for biomass applications. Figure 7 shows 

the resource availability for all residues.

Florida has quadrants of crop residue as potential 

feedstock for biofuel applications. 

After applying screening criteria outlined in the biomass 

table, 25 brownfield sites in Florida may be considered 

ideal locations for biomass applications. 

Contact

Gail Mosey, gail_mosey@nrel.gov

National Renewable Energy Laboratory 

(NREL)

1617 Cole Blvd.

Golden, CO 80401-3393 The information contained in this poster 

is subject to a government license.

Process to Identify Suitable Renewable Energy Technologies for a Brownfield

Figure 7. Biomass Resource Availability for All Residues with 

All Brownfield Sites

Figure 8. Biomass Resource Availability of Crop Residues 

with All Brownfield Sites

Figure 9. Identification of Suitable Sites for Biomass 

Applications

Brownfield Site Screening for Biomass Applications

All 25 sites are suitable for a biopower plant.

The following sites are also suitable for a dry mill corn ethanol plant: 

Belle Glade, former Palm Beach Lakes Golf Course, and Lake Worth 

Closed Municipal Landfill.

Belle Glade is the only site identified as being suitable for growing corn 

for biofuels, given the added screening criteria of >= 200 acres and 

within 50 miles of an existing biorefinery.

Environmental Protection Agency’s 

Brownfields 2006 Conference

Boston, Massachusetts

November 13-15, 2006.

NREL/PO-640-40844