03 May 2023

Are solar plants a threat to biodiversity?

We would like to contradict a false myth: Solar plants are not a threat to the environment. You will be surprised to discover the positive impact they have on biodiversity.

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Landscape around the Valdecaballeros photovoltaic plant (Badajoz).

Some people think that solar plants take up a lot of space and that they are not beneficial for the environment, but the reality is very different. In these installations human activity in the area is very limited, which enables fauna and flora to develop protected from external threats.

Before installing a photovoltaic plant, all the necessary studies are undertaken to measure the environmental impact that the construction will have. To minimise this as far as possible, plans are developed by all the agents involved to guarantee that the damage is minimal or non-existent.

In the reports prepared by independent environmental entities who work in solar plants such as EMAT, SFERA, Innogestiona, 360 solutions for climate change, and LINUM the conclusions are clear: the wealth of species found in photovoltaic plants has reached remarkable levels, with the best results obtained in the oldest installations and those that have undertaken the greatest number of environmental improvement actions.

In other words, far from subtracting, solar plants contribute positively, favouring the development of flora and fauna.

Numerous options to protect biodiversity

This symbiosis between human activity and natural habitat is the objective for which we must work to achieve sustainable dynamics. In addition to their value as an alternative to non-renewable energy, solar plants may offer further benefits. Being such delimited areas where there is usually no human activity, they have become authentic sanctuaries which encourage the recovery of native fauna and flora.

"Being such delimited areas where there is usually no human activity, they have become authentic sanctuaries which encourage the recovery of native fauna and flora".

Aloe vera plantation at the photovoltaic plant in Valdecaballeros (Badajoz).

Endesa has numerous examples of solar power plants that have become true oases, where animal and plant life can develop in peace without threats. For example, the Totana plant, in Murcia, has recovered 8 hectares of land to its natural state. In two years, an area spoilt by intensive cultivation and the use of phytosanitary products and plastics has become an ecological corridor where the original habitat has been restored.

In addition to these nature reserves, you can actively work to create added value for the community and for the area, always preserving biodiversity. These are what we call agrivoltaic projects, where solar energy production and agriculture work together.

An example of this is the Las Corchas solar plant (Carmona, Seville), where the land has been used to plant flax with very positive results. As explained by Jesús Gil Soto, Head of R+D projects at CTAEX, "growth in areas with more hours under shade is greater than in those where there is more sunshine: The effect of being under the shade of the panels for a few hours is beneficial for the crop." In fact, "the areas immediately below the panels retain soil moisture much better throughout the day. In this period of extreme drought, this is a great advantage."

In addition to agriculture, the options for using the land where there are photovoltaic panels are countless. In Las Corchas we have an aviary where aromatic plants are grown amongst more than 30 beehives. In Totana and Badajoz there are sheep grazing amongst the solar panels.