Today, Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are a key pillar to achieving sustainable development, which is the main reason why energy projects are being carried out not only in developed countries but also in many emerging countries. Since the technical and financial risk remains a major barrier to financing renewable energy projects, several mechanisms are available to reduce risks on investment into clean energy projects. This paper discusses risk management tools in solar photovoltaic facilities based on the guide to the Project Management (PMBOK Guide). To do this, a combination of different decision-making methodologies will be carried out. These methodologies enable to not only extract the knowledge by experts but also to know the causes and effects that help to make the best decision. In order to do so, techniques to seek information (Delphi and Checklist) as well as diagram techniques such as cause and effect diagrams or Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) are applied. The categorization and prioritization of risks will be carried out through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Finally, a sensitivity analysis will allow for providing consistency to the obtained results. A real case in the Dominican Republic will also be presented as case study.

The diverse socio-economic and environmental impacts related to the setup of a new photovoltaic installation must be weighed carefully in order to reach the best possible solution. Among the different photovoltaic systems, there are several classification criteria, depending on the technology, application, and size of the modules that define them. The size (installed nominal capacity) stands out as an impartial and critical measure in the decision-making process. In this article, we use a multi-criteria decision-making method to analyze the responses of five experts to a detailed questionnaire in which several different criteria are correlated with various photovoltaic installation sizes. The limitation associated with a low number of experts is addressed with a robustness and sensitivity analysis. With this study, we seek first to apply and demonstrate the feasibility of a methodology that combines technical information with multi-criteria decision-making methods. Second, we obtain a clear result that increases the benefits of a forthcoming photovoltaic installation of modules in distributed generation, adding up to one GW total peak power in standard conditions. We observe a consistent result in which smaller photovoltaic modules provide the ideal solution, as this format maximizes the socio-economic benefits of any installation. If a decision has to be taken about the type of photovoltaic plant to be installed, the conclusion is clear: given a certain size, small, easily scalable installations are the best solution for stakeholders, the inhabitants, and the environment.

The large-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems increasingly faces land-use conflicts, particularly in regions with high environmental sensitivity resulting from intensive urban development. Consequently, decision-makers require transparent, spatially explicit tools to identify suitable areas for utility-scale PV installations (>100 kWp). This study addresses these challenges through the application of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to locate optimal sites for solar farms along the coastal zone of the Region of Murcia (southeastern Spain). First, the research characterizes the territorial context and systematically reviews the European, national, and regional regulatory frameworks to identify relevant legal and environmental constraints. These constraints are translated into thematic layers within the GIS environment and progressively applied to exclude unsuitable land through spatial editing and overlay analyses. The remaining feasible areas are subsequently evaluated according to their photovoltaic potential using publicly available solar resource data. The results show that nearly one quarter of the coastal territory is legally and environmentally suitable for PV deployment. Furthermore, due to the favourable geographical conditions of this Spanish region, the annual photovoltaic potential along the coastal zone reaches nearly 48,000 GWh, which would not only meet the Region of Murcia’s annual electricity demand (approximately 8000 GWh) but also supply neighbouring areas in southeastern Spain.