<![CDATA[ABSTRACT Solar energy planning has evolved from mapping resource potential and assessing site suitability to increasingly integrating space, capacity, networks, demand, storage, land use, and energy transition goals. This article reviews 129 English-language Scopus records published during 2020–2026 and retrieved through a structured search on October 5, 2026. After duplicate auditing and title–abstract screening, 119 studies were retained for synthesis, comprising 63 core and 56 supporting studies, while 10 records were excluded. To strengthen consistency, a stratified random re-audit of 26 records (20.2% of the corpus; 13 Core, 11 Supporting, and 2 Exclude) was conducted using the same operational codebook; all 26 records retained their original classification. Because this was an internal consistency check rather than independent dual screening, no inter-rater statistic was calculated. The review also applies an appraisal of information depth available in titles and abstracts and a targeted full-text verification of five key studies used to substantiate the principal research gaps. The synthesis reveals a continuum from potential mapping and GIS–MCDA to spatial decision support, spatial–energy system integration, and more robust transition planning. The ontology–epistemology–axiology lens is used as an interpretive framework rather than as an attribution of explicit philosophical positions to the reviewed studies. Ontologically, the analytical focus shifts from identifying the “best site” to understanding socio-technical territorial energy systems. Epistemologically, approaches advance from overlay and weighting toward optimization, sensitivity analysis, scenarios, and GeoAI. Axiologically, models increasingly address trade-offs among energy production, cost, land, environment, reliability, resilience, and social legitimacy. Five major gaps are identified: suitability-to-deployment, grid–demand integration, land–environment trade-offs, robustness, and spatial–transition linkage. The review proposes a provincial-level integrative framework linking “where,” “how much,” and “with what transition implications,” with direct relevance to model development in Gorontalo Province. ABSTRAK Perencanaan energi surya berkembang dari pemetaan sumber daya dan penilaian kesesuaian lokasi mengintegrasikan ruang, kapasitas, jaringan, permintaan, penyimpanan, penggunaan lahan, serta tujuan transisi energi. Artikel ini meninjau 129 rekaman Scopus berbahasa Inggris periode 2020–2026 yang diperoleh melalui strategi pencarian terstruktur pada 5 Oktober 2026. Setelah audit duplikasi dan penyaringan judul–abstrak, 119 studi dipertahankan sebagai basis sintesis, terdiri atas 63 studi Core dan 56 Supporting, sementara 10 rekaman dikeluarkan. Untuk memperkuat konsistensi seleksi, dilakukan audit ulang acak terstratifikasi terhadap 26 rekaman (20,2% korpus; 13 core, 11 supporting, dan 2 exclude) menggunakan codebook operasional yang sama; seluruh 26 rekaman mempertahankan klasifikasi awal. Karena pemeriksaan ini merupakan consistency check internal dan bukan independent dual screening, statistik antar-reviewer tidak dihitung. Tinjauan juga menerapkan penilaian kedalaman informasi yang tersedia pada judul dan abstrak serta verifikasi full-text terarah terhadap Lima studi kunci yang menopang gap utama. Sintesis menunjukkan suatu kontinum perkembangan dari pemetaan potensi dan GIS–MCDA menuju dukungan keputusan spasial, integrasi spasial–sistem energi, hingga perencanaan transisi yang lebih robust. Lensa ontologi–epistemologi–aksiologi digunakan sebagai kerangka interpretatif penulis, bukan sebagai klaim bahwa studi yang ditinjau secara eksplisit menganut posisi filosofis tertentu. Secara ontologis, objek analisis bergeser dari “tapak terbaik” menuju sistem energi teritorial sosio-teknis; secara epistemologis, pembentukan pengetahuan bergerak dari overlay dan pembobotan menuju optimasi, pengujian sensitivitas, skenario, dan GeoAI; secara aksiologis, model semakin menghadapkan trade-off antara produksi energi, biaya, lahan, lingkungan, reliabilitas, ketahanan, dan legitimasi sosial. Sintesis komparatif mengidentifikasi Lima gap utama: suitability-to-deployment, integrasi grid–demand, trade-off lahan–lingkungan, robustness, dan keterhubungan spasial–transisi. Berdasarkan rantai bukti tersebut, artikel mengusulkan kerangka integratif tingkat provinsi untuk menghubungkan pertanyaan “di mana,” “berapa besar,” dan “apa implikasinya terhadap transisi energi,” dengan relevansi langsung bagi pengembangan model di Provinsi Gorontalo.]]>
