The UK renewables arm of energy giant Electricite de France (EDF) has announced a project aimed at advancing research on the effects solar farms can have on biodiversity, including how they could generate benefits for nature.
EDF Renewables UK has partnered with Bath-based environmental advisory firm Nature Positive, and University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute (ESI), on a six-year programme, initially focused on a 50-hectare area around a solar farm in Essex.
Backed by EDF Renewables, the farm will be among the first to host research on solar power plants’ impacts on soil, wildlife, and carbon, according to a joint statement released on Thursday.
“If managed appropriately, solar farms present significant opportunities to provide habitat for wildlife, enhance biodiversity, and maintain healthy soils and ecosystems,” said Jon Bennie, lecturer of physical geography at the University of Exeter.
“This long-term piece of research will allow us to study the potential benefits and challenges involved in the construction and operation of solar farms, helping to inform management decisions to maximise these environmental gains and minimise potential risks.”
Under the project, set to start later this year, researchers will test different management approaches and compare areas of solar panels with undeveloped agricultural land, gathering data on solar plants’ potential to generate net benefits for biodiversity, carbon, and soil quality.
The findings will inform the planning of the Longfield Solar Farm, which is expected to be built next year and provide energy to power up to 96,000 homes annually, according to EDF Renewables.
KNOWLEDGE GAPS
“While solar farms have become increasingly important in meeting the national need for renewable energy, the potential benefits they can have in improving biodiversity and providing other ecosystem services have to date been poorly understood,” said Mark Lang, a representative from Nature Positive.
“It is hoped the research will contribute to the collective understanding of how solar farms can be effectively managed to enhance biodiversity, influencing current best practice in the rapidly growing solar industry,” Lang said.
The impact of renewables on biodiversity has long been debated, with several planned solar plants in the UK, such as the Botley West Solar Farm, sparking criticism for their potential impacts on ecosystems.
A study published by the think tank REN21 in January said the benefits of clean energy outweigh any potential adverse effects.
Yet, a separate paper released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2022 said that “compared to wind energy developments, there is currently limited scientific evidence of the impacts from solar developments on biodiversity and ecosystem services”.
The IUCN report identified 13 key biodiversity and associated ecosystem service impacts of solar plants, including habitat loss through clearance, habitat degradation due to changes in hydrology and water availability and quality, and introduction of invasive alien species.
By Sergio Colombo @sergio@carbon-pulse.com
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