Engineering
Solar Site Feasibility Study
Structure an early solar feasibility study around traceable assumptions, spatial constraints, yield, grid, access and decision gates.
Why this workflow matters
An early feasibility study should explain whether a project deserves further expenditure and exactly which uncertainties control that decision. It should connect mapping, technical assumptions and commercial consequences without pretending that preliminary data is design evidence.
Questions to answer
- What capacity can the usable land plausibly support?
- Which constraints change layout, cost or schedule?
- What yield range is reasonable at screening stage?
- What must be resolved before the next gate?
Recommended workflow
- 1Establish the study basis, project boundary and target configuration.
- 2Screen constraints and develop a preliminary usable-area assumption.
- 3Estimate indicative capacity, yield, access and grid context.
- 4Summarize risks, sensitivities, information gaps and a go/hold/stop recommendation.
Evidence to collect
- ✓ Boundary, area and terrain data
- ✓ Resource and climate datasets
- ✓ Planning, environmental and flood information
- ✓ Grid, road and land evidence
Decision-ready outputs
- → Feasibility basis and assumptions register
- → Preliminary layout and energy envelope
- → Decision memo with next-stage scope
Market application
- Portugal, Spain, Italy and Germany apply different national, regional and municipal planning controls; EU-wide layers are an initial evidence layer only.
- Grid feasibility must be checked through the relevant transmission or distribution system operator, including queue, capacity, studies and connection route.
- Cadastral boundaries, land rights, local setbacks and permit status require current national or competent-authority evidence.
Worked example
Fictional feasibility gate
- Basis
- A 60 ha gross boundary has incomplete terrain and flood evidence and no operator-confirmed connection capacity.
- Screening response
- Issue a conditional hold: complete the development-envelope assumptions, authority flood review and grid evidence before fixing capacity or CAPEX.
- Limitation
- A feasibility gate records evidence sufficiency; it is not consent or investment approval.
Authoritative starting points
Use these primary sources to begin verification, then obtain the current competent-authority evidence for the project market.
- European Commission — Environmental Impact Assessment ↗
EU environmental-assessment framework and Member State implementation context
- European Commission — INSPIRE Geoportal ↗
Discovery of official European spatial datasets and metadata
- European Commission JRC — PVGIS ↗
Solar-resource and indicative PV performance context
- ENTSO-E — Ten-Year Network Development Plan ↗
European transmission-development context; not project-specific connection capacity
Review status: SolarDev AI internal methodology review; independent technical review not yet published.