Pollinators in a solar farm.
CREDIT: Solar Energy UK & Sarah Cheesbrough
Researchers assessing the impact of solar energy development across Europe have come up with ten ways in which the expansion of solar can be shaped to ensure pollinators benefit.
Researchers assessing the impact of solar energy development across Europe have come up with ten ways in which the expansion of solar can be shaped to ensure pollinators benefit.
Space-hungry solar photovoltaic (PV) is set to dominate future global electricity supply, but with careful decision making, efforts to secure clean energy need not come at the expense of biodiversity – particularly pollinators which are in sharp decline.
Bees, hoverflies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths play a key role in food production, with around 75% of the leading global food crops and 35% of global crop production relying on them to some extent.
Writing in the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, a Lancaster-led team of environmental scientists systematically reviewed the available evidence on how land management practices relating to solar parks in North West Europe could enhance pollinator biodiversity.
Along with colleagues from the University of Reading, they highlighted ten evidence-based ways to protect and even enhance pollinator biodiversity ranging from sowing wildflowers to connecting solar parks to nearby areas of semi-natural habitat.
Their findings are timely as, in a bid to tackle climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, more power is being generated from renewable sources – at the beginning of 2020 a record breaking 47% of the UK’s electricity came from renewables, including wind, solar, hydro, wave and biomass.
Solar parks can produce large amounts of power, with the UK’s largest solar park set to power 91,000 homes once complete. But, solar parks also take up land, with potential impacts on the environment. In the UK approximately half of PV has been installed as ground-mounted solar parks, ranging in size from 1-40 hectares.
Shading caused by rows of solar panels affects air temperature, rainfall and evaporation which has a knock on effect on soil, vegetation and biodiversity.
However, in the UK solar parks are often built in intensively managed agricultural landscapes and thus are poor for biodiversity. In this scenario, solar parks may in fact provide opportunities to establish hotspots of pollinator biodiversity which in turn can help pollinate local crops such as oilseed, strawberries and apples.
Lancaster University’s Hollie Blaydes said: “Many pollinators are in decline both in the UK and in other parts of the world. Actions to conserve pollinators include reversing agricultural intensification and maintaining natural habitat, both of which can be achieved within solar parks. Often built amongst agricultural land, solar parks offer a unique opportunity to provide pollinator resources where they are most needed.”
Prof Simon Potts, University of Reading, said: “As well as promoting biodiversity, pollinator-friendly solar parks also have the potential to provide tangible economic benefits to farmers through enhancing pollination services to adjacent agricultural land, boosting crop yields.
“Imagine a world where solar parks not only produced much needed low carbon electricity but were also diverse and attractive wildflower meadows buzzing with insect life.”
Dr Alona Armstrong, Lancaster University Environment Centre said: “Land use change for solar parks could cause further degradation of our environment but, if done well, offers much potential to improve our environment. If we transition well, we could use energy system decarbonisation to also address the ecological crisis. Given where we are, can we afford not to?”
Original Article: Ten ways to ensure bees benefit from the solar power boom
More from: Lancaster University | University of Reading
The Latest Updates from Bing News & Google News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Solar energy development
- US energy panel approves rule to expand transmission of renewable power
Federal energy regulators have approved a rule to expand the amount of renewable energy such as wind and solar power that is transmitted to the electric grid ...
- New Rules to Overhaul Electric Grids Could Boost Wind and Solar Power
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the biggest changes in more than a decade to the way U.S. power lines are planned and funded.
- New free analysis platform shines light on how solar energy projects will affect utilities' power systems
Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in collaboration with three other national labs, have developed a free online platform to help utilities understand how solar ...
- How national developers bankroll multi-million-dollar solar projects
Catalyze is a national company with four operational solar projects in Western New York and 45 more on the way.
- Renewable energy industry reacts to FERC’s ‘watershed’ transmission rules – Orders 1920 and 1977
FERC unveiled two transmission rulings that combine to represent a "watershed" moment for the U.S. energy system.
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Solar energy development
[google_news title=”” keyword=”solar energy development” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Benefiting pollinators
- This Low-Maintenance Lawn Trend Is Also Pollinator-Friendly
Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!Benefits of a Bee LawnThere are even more benefits to a bee lawn than just caring for the ...
- Swarm chasers help preserve precious bees as valuable pollinators
“It can be intimidating to see a swarm of bees the size of your house,” swarm chaser Carl Korschgen said, “but they are actually less aggressive than when they’re in a hive, by a factor of ten.” ...
- The Great Florida Pollinator Count
Since the start of the program, more than 12,000 people in Georgia and the Carolinas have participated in the count.
- Guest Commentary: Think of pollinators during 'No Mow May'
The “No Mow May” pollinator protection campaign began in England two decades ago but became a viral “buzz” across the U.S. during those stay-at-home pandemic years. Its goals are admirable: ...
- Reason to bee hopeful: Pollinators show finds fertile ground at Art at the CAVE gallery
Have you heard the buzz? There’s a new art exhibit this month at Art at the CAVE, a contemporary art gallery in downtown Vancouver. The gallery is showcasing the work of three artists, Clark County re ...
Go deeper with Google Headlines on:
Benefiting pollinators
[google_news title=”” keyword=”benefiting pollinators” num_posts=”5″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]