Research uncovers unexpected side effect of solar panels: ‘They can tackle both … crises at once’

Solar farms have been at the forefront of the transition to sustainable energy, but one recent report detailed an unexpected benefit of theirs.

Solar Quarter summarized a policy paper published by The Nature Conservancy and SolarPower Europe about nature-inclusive solar parks, which “can contribute to the EU’s nature protection and restoration ambitions and create a win-win for renewable energy and biodiversity.”

Since current policies regarding nature-inclusive solar farms are ambiguous, the report included a framework with clearly defined objectives for future projects to follow.

The solar installations should be thoughtful in their approach, incorporating native and diverse species of trees and wildflowers to support pollinators, installing wildlife-friendly corridors and fencing, and avoiding the use of toxic herbicides.

Furthermore, they should utilize semi-transparent, bifacial solar panels that are mounted sufficiently high off the ground and can move with the sun to allow light to reach the vegetation below, which would improve soil quality and promote plant growth.

The report also suggested solar parks be strategically located on lands that are already degraded or have human-made infrastructure to avoid biodiversity loss and mitigate land degradation.

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These solar parks will play a crucial role in the EU’s Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore 20% of marine and terrestrial habitats by 2030 and all degraded ecosystems by 2050.

Additionally, they will serve as a key cog for the Union’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by the end of the decade and signatories of the Paris Agreement’s aims to hit net zero emissions by 2050.

Though the paper listed policies at the supranational, national, and regional levels, it called for even more support from governments to help incentivize and scale up production while ensuring future solar farms align with the management strategies outlined by The Nature Conservancy and SolarPower Europe.

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It highlighted case studies of successful nature-inclusive solar farms as well, like a park in Germany that serves as a home to several avian, reptilian, and mammalian species and utilizes sheep as a natural lawnmower and fertilizer.

Another agrivoltaic project is set to hit the U.K., with Queequeg Renewables set to construct five solar and battery energy storage systems nationwide.

“Even though the projected share of land affected by current and future solar parks remains limited … it’s important to properly site and design solar parks so they can tackle both the climate and biodiversity crises at once,” the authors of the paper wrote.

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