Guidance to boost biodiversity on solar farms brings conservationists on board

A solar research centre is launching guidance on boosting biodiversity on solar farms, in a move to bring conservationists on board with the developing sector.

The BRE National Solar Centre commissioned the guidance from ecologist Guy Parker to encourage planners, developers and landowners to install solar farms in ways that support wildlife.

Solar farms have attracted negative publicity where they are perceived to damage attractive areas of countryside. However, the report stressed solar farms typically take up less than 5 per cent of the land they are on, leaving “huge scope” to create protected habitats around them.

In preliminary research at four sites, Parker found a “significant increase” in the populations of butterflies and bumblebees compared to the surrounding farmland.

Jonny Williams, associate director of the BRE NSC, said: “Solar farms are already the most popular local energy development but their potential to protect British wildlife is attracting huge interest. The BRE NSC has been working to define best practice for solar farms and we have developed this specific biodiversity guidance to help conservation groups, communities, solar developers and planners deliver great results for nature.”

The Solar Trade Association is aiming for 10GW of solar farms by 2020, which would take up around 0.1 per cent of UK land.

Paul Barwell, chief executive of the STA, said: “There is huge enthusiasm amongst our membership to turn solar farms into an even greater force for environmental good by providing safe and protected spaces for our vulnerable and declining wildlife and plant species. We very much look forward to seeing partnerships blossom between conservation groups and our members.”

Conservation groups including the National Trust, RSPB and the Eden Project backed the initiative at Monday’s launch.

Patrick Begg, rural enterprises director of the National Trust, said renewable sources were “vital” to generate clean energy but “they must be developed in harmony with the landscape”. He added: “We are keen to work with and encourage the solar industry to do more to help protect the wildlife and landscapes that we love forever, and this biodiversity guidance is a fantastic tool for doing that.”

Harry Huyton, head of climate change at RSPB, said: “The recent IPCC reports show that unless we change our energy systems, climate change threatens to drive the loss of wildlife here in the UK and globally. The IPCC are also clear that solar power has a huge role to play, so it is particularly satisfying to see solar energy developers pledging to deliver clean energy and nature conservation hand-in-hand.”