The environment is a hot topic, with many issues to consider. Clean energy is needed to target climate change, but there is also a greater understanding of the need to manage the landscape correctly to protect biodiversity. While there are fears concerning the impact of solar farms on diversity, studies have recognised that these are unfounded and that a well-managed solar farm not only generates clean energy but also supports biodiversity.
Generating Clean Energy
While solar farms are not the only way to generate clean energy, in many areas they are the most effective, just as in other places a wind turbine might be more appropriate.
Many buildings are also suitable for solar panels. If you want to find out if you can install them on your home, an internet search relevant for your area, such as solar panel installation Burnham, can help you find out more. Solar panel installation in Burnham and other areas can play a role in tackling climate change alongside other measures such as solar farms.
Bird Life
Well-managed solar farms have been shown to improve bird biodiversity better than arable land, including bird species on the endangered list. Solar farms with hedgerows and no sheep grazing or grass-cutting provide the best conditions, but even solar farms with sheep grazing provide better conditions for birds than arable land.
Soil and Grass
There are concerns that installing a solar farm can permanently damage the landscape, with its impact continuing after the 40-year lifespan of the solar farm. However, studies indicate that the opposite is true.
The hands-off approach to soil management on solar farms results in a long period of no pesticides and fertilisers, resulting in improved soil health. While grass is inevitably cut during the installation process, it not only quickly recovers but also returns as a native grassland habitat that naturally supports biodiversity.
Boosting Biodiversity
Since February 2024, proposed British solar farms must deliver a net biodiversity gain of at least 10%. But additional projects on solar farms, such as ponds, mean that this target is easily exceeded.