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ENERGY · forward · impact 1/5 · 2026-11-07 · Women in Solar+ Europe

Psychological safety emerges as key for solar project decision-making

Women in Solar+ Europe's events reveal how psychological safety enables better solar project decisions

Women in Solar+ Europe (WiSEu) held six Solar & Storage Live events across the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, and France on November 7, 2026. Participants included solar developers, independent power producers, investors, and DEI leads who identified psychological safety as critical for team members to challenge assumptions without fear of negative consequences. WiSEu observed that unraised proposal weaknesses can accumulate risks, cause cost inefficiencies, and delay project delivery. They emphasized that effective leadership requires creating conditions where influence occurs without senior titles, and that decision-making needs relevant context, clear objectives, and visible impact opportunities. Small-scale trials with defined boundaries were noted as a way to generate learning while managing financial exposure.

The substance lies in WiSEu’s focus on how psychological safety and structured decision-making processes directly address common pitfalls in solar project execution. By prioritizing these mechanisms, teams can avoid costly missteps that often stall renewable energy deployment.

This moves energy abundance by potentially reducing delays and cost overruns in solar projects—making clean energy more accessible and affordable for communities. Better project decisions could accelerate the transition to affordable solar power, directly supporting energy access for underserved populations.

What to watch: Whether WiSEu’s practices scale beyond their specific 2026 events and whether findings apply universally across solar projects. The source notes these insights emerged from their limited events and may not reflect all project contexts.

Source: pv magazine