Victoria-based Othersphere has launched a public beta of Scout, a tool designed to help developers and investors evaluate potential data centre locations before committing to deeper research.
Announced last month, Scout allows users to select an infrastructure type and search an address, enter coordinates or choose a location on a map. The beta supports data centres and utility-scale solar projects.
Each location receives a screening score out of 100, with results grouped under inputs, local fit and end users. An AI-generated summary outlines potential advantages and drawbacks.
The tool draws on Othersphere’s platform, which the company says indexes more than 60 datasets across over 180 million locations worldwide.
Scout provides an initial screening rather than a complete development assessment. Its scores reflect generalized asset types, while project-specific requirements can change how factors should be weighted. Detailed permitting analysis, community sentiment and property-level research are addressed through Othersphere’s fuller site assessments.
The launch comes as site selection becomes increasingly consequential for Canada’s expanding data centre sector.
As DataCentre.ca previously reported, Orennia has warned that limited transmission infrastructure threatens the viability of proposed projects, encouraging developers to consider onsite generation, battery storage and more flexible grid connections.
Local acceptance also matters. Recent polling covered by DataCentre.ca found 64% of Canadians favour limits on large data centres, with water consumption, electricity costs and the distribution of economic benefits among respondents’ concerns.
For developers navigating those pressures, Scout offers a starting point for comparing locations and identifying where more detailed investigation is warranted.
The public beta is available online, with Othersphere identifying onshore wind and battery energy storage as the next asset types planned for coverage.