Consultant explaining biodiversity to employee

Impact

Biodiversity. Sun. Energy.

Why Biodiversity Matters

Biodiversity is essential to life on Earth, providing resources such as food, medicine, and ecosystem stability. However, the global biodiversity crisis - marked by the rapid decline of species and habitats - threatens to disrupt these vital systems and impact our daily lives. Addressing this challenge requires innovative and localised efforts to preserve and enhance ecosystems.

Solar parks present opportunities to support biodiversity through small but meaningful actions. By introducing native plant species and fostering microclimates, solar parks can potentially attract a broader range of species, contributing to the health of local ecosystems. While these measures are relatively new to our projects, they reflect a growing awareness of the need to integrate ecological considerations into solar park development.

flowers and bee in front of solar panels

Biodiversity in Solar Parks

Before 2022, biodiversity-focused practices were not part of our solar park designs. At the time, we mostly outsourced this aspect of the value chain, purchasing ready-to-build projects that lacked tailored biodiversity measures. Since then, we have taken up a bigger part of the value chain ourselves, including the design phase. This shift allows us to work directly with local biologists to assess existing ecosystems and implement plans that aim to support local fauna and flora.

For example, at the Lysabild solar park in Southern Denmark, we introduced features such as sand mounds, stone piles, deadwood habitats, flower strips, living hedges, and optimised pond areas. These additions are intended to provide modest support to local ecosystems while also improving the surrounding landscape for neighbouring communities. Though the scale of these measures is limited, they represent a meaningful step toward enhancing biodiversity in solar park development.

Tracking Progress

To evaluate the impact of these efforts, a baseline assessment is conducted by biologists to document the plants and wildlife present. Regular monitoring is then carried out to track changes in biodiversity over time.

Since these initiatives were introduced only after 2022, significant results will take time to materialise. Restoring ecosystems is a gradual process, often requiring five to ten years for visible outcomes. While we maintain realistic expectations, we are hopeful these efforts will contribute to the recovery of local ecosystems and support biodiversity in and around our solar parks.

Lasse from Mols Consulting by pond in solar park

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