Examining Large-Scale Solar (LSS) Photovoltaic (PV) Operating Utilities by using Environmental Impact Screening (EIS)

Abstract

For Malaysia’s future energy needs, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology and farming is becoming a more costeffective option and technology in achieving Malaysia’s goal of having 31% renewable energy in its power mix by year 2025. Malaysia’s global climate commitment is to reduce its economy-wide carbon intensity (as a percentage of GDP) by 45% by 2030 compared to 2005 levels. Realizing the government’s vision is critical to assisting the country in meeting its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) targets (SEDA, 2022). Hence, this paper highlights the evaluation of an existing solar farm located at Seberang Perai Pulau Pinang, Malaysia as a case study to examine the potential environmental impact arising from of large-scale solar (LSS) PV development utilising the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) under the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) technique. The approach for this study was conducting in depth interviews with 16 people, including academics, authorities, and experts in the field. Large projects need to be evaluated to make sure that any potential problems are found and resolved early in the planning and design phases. This study considers the effects on the environment and chemicals (EC), as well as occupational safety (OSH) and economic impact (EI). AHP is then used to assess the data and utilized to produce the final component rankings. By showing the outcomes, the bar chart will aid in improved decision-making. The bar chart’s ability to display the results will help in the decision-making. From the results, LSS PV farm were conducive to achieving strong sustainability however in term of environmental degradation, mitigation action must be implemented on site to tackle the arising issues.