New research undertaken by the University of California, Davis has examined the relationship between birds and floating solar installation.
This adds to a body of work examining the impact of solar installation on wildlife. Earlier this year a team from the University of Cambridge, working with the RSPB, found that bird populations can thrive on solar farms if they are designed with them in mind.
Floating solar (FPV) is increasing in popularity as it has a number of advantages over its land-based counterpart: the cooling effect of the water makes the panels more efficient, they are easy to install as no fixed structures are required, they are easy to move and, of course, they don’t take up any land.
There are also environmental benefits, as FPV prevents water evaporation and can control the growth of algae blooms but the impact of such installations on waterbirds is still not fully understood.
Bird populations globally face increasing threats, including habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and disease. As floating solar installations expand, understanding their ecological impact becomes increasingly important.
‘That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,’ said corresponding author Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute.
‘We want to advance clean energy while promoting healthy, functional environments. Achieving this balance requires that we rigorously study and understand how wildlife responds to floating solar so we can ensure that negative impacts are avoided and potential ecological benefits are realised.’
At the Wild Energy Center, researchers have observed various bird species interacting with floating panels – for example, black phoebes nesting underneath or cormorants competing for space. These findings suggest that artificial water bodies with FPVs can offer habitat opportunities, but further study is needed.
Coauthor Emma Forester, a Ph.D. candidate with the UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources department and the Wild Energy Center said: ‘There are some things we wished we’d known before other kinds of renewable energy were developed. While we’re at this critical threshold of renewable energy development, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward.’
Drawing on field observations, the study outlines five key areas for future research into waterbird and FPV interactions:
- How birds interact with different parts of FPV infrastructure.
- The mutual impacts birds and FPVs may have on each other.
- Regional, site-specific, and seasonal differences in bird behavior.
- Effective monitoring strategies at FPV sites.
- Potential pollutants from FPVs and ways to minimise environmental risks.
Photo: Katherine E Kerlin
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