Expansion brings state-of-the-art renewable energy assessment and forecasting to fast-growing global markets

SEATTLE (March 23, 2009) - 3TIER, one of the world's largest independent providers of renewable energy assessment and power forecasting services, today announced the expansion of its global operations with new offices in Germany, Australia and India. This announcement closely follows 3TIER's global expansion of its FirstLook® Prospecting tool, which provides free access to average wind speed ranges anywhere in the world through a dynamic, online 5 km resolution map.

To navigate the map and find out more about FirstLook Prospecting visit: http://firstlook.3tier.com.

"These offices put us in front of the rapidly growing markets of Europe, the Pacific Rim and India," said Pascal Storck, Ph.D, president of global operations for Seattle-headquartered 3TIER. 3TIER also has offices in Panama and Washington D.C. "We are growing our presence in key geographies where we foresee tremendous growth in the development of renewable energy projects and strong demand for the Renewable Energy Information ServicesSM we provide."

"These offices provide a 'local' presence for financiers, developers, operators or governments who need 3TIER's expertise in wind, solar and hydro assessment and forecasting," he said. "In these countries, we will also be partnering with a range of business advisory and consulting groups, research and development facilities, as well as government agencies to help leverage their core capabilities in a high-growth renewable energy sector. 3TIER's entrée into these markets has been eagerly anticipated by many industry insiders, and now that has come to fruition."

3TIER's office in Wetzlar, Germany is strategically positioned as a central location to serve the rest of the European Union. The office is staffed by a team of highly experienced scientists and business development representatives, already connecting with developers and financiers in the area. Maurice Bowness is the managing director and has held leadership positions in technical and renewable energy companies throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

"In Europe, wind and solar power are already integral to the energy equation," said Storck. "3TIER serves a wide range of European-headquartered clients, such as Spain's Iberdrola Renewables, for whom 3TIER provides services in the United States. As we expand our operations to meet Europe's growing demand, our presence also will provide immediate customer support for clients who, like Iberdrola, have global operations."

3TIER is entering the Pacific Rim market with an office in Hobart, Tasmania and a satellite office in Melbourne. 3TIER's Pacific Rim office will be led by Cameron Potter, Ph.D., who has played a key scientific role at 3TIER North America and has valuable expertise in weather forecasting, research science and renewable energy project management.

"In Australia, the renewable energy industry is gaining quick momentum, and a mandatory renewable energy target of 20 percent green power by 2020 is driving the country to find effective ways to diversify its energy grid," said Storck. "Billions of dollars are expected to flow into wind power development - the cheapest alternative to coal and gas. As developers and financiers look to Australia's untapped renewable energy resources, our scientifically backed tools will help them evaluate potential sites for further investment."

India is one of the top four wind-power markets in the world and the most developed market in Asia. 3TIER's office in Bangalore, India is a critical location in meeting the industry's growing demands in the rapidly developing nation.

"With more than 420 million people with no access to electricity, India is exploring ways to leapfrog over fossil fuels and fully integrate renewable energy projects into its energy portfolio," said Storck. "The country's southern and western states are abundant in wind resources, and there exists an enormous untapped potential for solar and hydro power. We believe there is an urgent need in this country to find new sources of power - and that India offers a tremendous opportunity for 3TIER to help developers and the government accelerate the adoption of renewable energy."

3TIER's services in India already are contributing to the growth of its renewable energy sector. In 2008, the Archean Group, an Indian wind energy developer and Independent Power Producer, engaged 3TIER for a variety of FullView® Assessments, which provide in-depth analysis of wind resources for a specific location. 3TIER also has partnered with two renewable energy consultants - IT Power India and the Resurge Group - to help developers leverage 3TIER's complete suite of renewable energy assessment and forecasting services.

Nikhilesh Singh, managing director of 3TIER's Bangalore office, has more than 17 years experience in commercial development, project finance, project implementation and monitoring, resource assessment, conceptual design, and site infrastructure across multiple renewable energy types in India. He is multi-lingual and holds an MBA and a degree in electrical engineering.

3TIER helps clients save money and time through a full suite of assessment and forecasting products for wind, hydro and solar energy projects. 3TIER uses its knowledge about weather and climate and their impacts on weather-driven renewable energy resources to help clients make better decisions about their investments - before, during and after their projects are built.

ABOUT 3TIER

3TIER is one of the largest independent providers of wind, solar and hydro energy assessment and power forecasting worldwide with offices in North America, Europe, Latin America, India and Asia. People around the world turn to 3TIER when they want the best scientific information to make decisions about renewable energy projects — from the prospecting stage to operations. For more information, visit www.3TIER.com.