Solar farms can benefit nature and boost biodiversity.
Last month, the UK's new Labour government approved 3 mega solar farms in the east of England – together they account for about two thirds of the entire solar energy capacity installed in 2023.
There was no shortage of opposition. But solar farms don't just have to be about low carbon electricity, they could also help reverse biodiversity decline.
Managing solar farms as wildflower meadows can benefit bumblebee foraging and nesting, while larger solar farms can increase pollinator densities compared to smaller sites managed as turf grass.
Solar farms have been found to boost the diversity and abundance of certain plants, invertebrates and birds, compared to that on farmland, if solar panels are integrated with vegetation, even in urban areas.
And solar farms can also deliver multiple “ecosystem services” in addition to biodiversity conservation, including food production and support for rural activities such as recreation.
Solar farms may challenge deeply held perceptions in the UK of a “green” countryside dotted with lush farmlands, with wildlife co-existing in harmony with humans.
In reality, centuries of agricultural intensification have pushed several species and habitats to the brink in the UK, a nation that’s been highlighted as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
The UK’s commitment to slash carbon emissions to meet net zero targets by 2030 may bring a fivefold increase in solar energy deployment in the next five years.
This will probably intensify the debate around competition for agricultural land and solar.It also provides an opportunity for policy to embed strong benefits for biodiversity.
Appropriate public policies that link net zero targets with nature recovery could help ensure that solar farms can be managed to enhance biodiversity.