The Potential of Solar Energy Development in Jordan during 2026–2036: A Critical Review with Special Emphasis on the Rural Photovoltaic Solar Farm Perspective

Abstract

Jordan has strong solar resources, high energy-import exposure and a policy history that has enabled rapid photovoltaic deployment. The next phase of solar development is likely to be shaped less by aggregate irradiance potential than by the practical conditions under which rural and semi-arid governorates can host photovoltaic infrastructure without weakening water security, agricultural livelihoods or local acceptance. This critical narrative review synthesises accessible peer-reviewed and authoritative institutional literature relevant to rural photovoltaic solar farm development in Jordan over the 2026-2036 horizon. The review focuses on policy and regulatory architecture, technical and spatial determinants of site suitability, dust-soiling and operations constraints, grid-integration and storage requirements, water-energy-food nexus interactions, agrivoltaic models and the socioeconomic conditions that influence community benefit. The literature indicates that Jordan has an enabling national policy foundation and extensive experience with utility-scale photovoltaic procurement, but that rural deployment remains insufficiently differentiated from centralised generation policy. Evidence from geospatial multi-criteria site-selection studies shows that solar resource quality must be considered together with slope, land cover, protected areas, road access, transmission proximity and water-related restrictions. Evidence from arid agrivoltaic and solar-desalination studies suggests promising opportunities for dual land use and water-sector applications, although Jordan-specific field validation remains limited. Grid absorption, curtailment risk, storage economics, dust management and benefit-sharing mechanisms are likely to determine whether rural solar farms function as inclusive development assets rather than only as generation facilities. The review concludes that the most defensible rural pathway for Jordan combines spatially explicit planning, water-aware siting, selective agrivoltaic pilots, storage-paired grid integration and stronger procedural mechanisms for local participation and benefit sharing.