Meadow Pipit in a Solar Park on Peatland in Northern Germany
Watt Manufacturer
Solar farms established on rewetted peatlands host a greater diversity of bird species compared to adjacent dry farmlands. This indicates that renewable energy sites can be advantageous for landowners, helping to sequester carbon while simultaneously boosting biodiversity.
Peatlands are recognized as the largest carbon reservoirs on earth, containing twice the carbon of all global forests. Yet, extensive peatland areas are drained for agriculture or mined for horticultural materials. In Germany, 95% of peatlands are degraded, while 80% of these ecologically vital areas are similarly compromised in the UK.
When peatlands are drained via ditches or pumps, microorganisms initiate the decomposition of the ancient carbon stored in these ecosystems, releasing carbon dioxide over extended periods.
A German state-funded research initiative is currently exploring the potential of solar farms to accelerate peatland restoration.
“We can’t merely resort to conservation strategies,” explains Hannah Ray Martens, who conducted research at the University of Greifswald in Germany. “Numerous individuals depend on this land for their livelihood.”
At the study location, the solar energy firm Watt Manufacturing began constructing a sand and gravel road in 2020, which obstructed the drainage ditches’ flow, permitting water to accumulate on farmland and gradually return to the peatland.
Mertens notes that this research is the first to assess the impact of solar installations on rewetted peatlands, revealing positive outcomes for biodiversity.
“The prevailing concern is habitat destruction; however, this does not apply here,” she states. “New habitats have emerged for various species, including endangered and wetland species, thereby enhancing overall landscape biodiversity.”
The species richness observed in the 30-hectare solar park is comparable to that found in two nearby fields regularly harvested for hay. However, audio recorders revealed that the solar park is inhabited by both wetland and woodland bird species, while the hayfield was dominated by grassland birds, such as the European goldfinch.
Wetland species, including the white wagtail, great bunting, and blue heron, were recorded at the solar park, alongside forest inhabitants like the sparrow and buzzard. The solar panels were seen to replace shrubs and small trees, with birds such as buzzards and kestrels perching on them to hunt for rodents in the grass below.
The research team also documented a meadow pipit, a small brown-striped species that is endangered in Germany, perched on one of the panels.
Mr. Mertens suggests that rewetting peatlands, utilizing solar panels as perches, and limiting mowing have contributed to attracting various bird species. However, further studies are needed to compare the biodiversity of these solar-augmented peatlands against rewetted peatlands without solar development, according to Katherine Waite from Cambridge University.
“Peat Land PV” [photovoltaics]… could present a highly effective method to revitalize severely degraded agricultural peatlands, although its applicability should not extend to healthy peatlands elsewhere,” she cautions.
Despite the UK restoring approximately 2,500 square kilometers of peatland—a mere one-tenth of the total degraded area—Germany has restored even fewer peatlands. The ongoing emissions from drained peatlands persist for many years; therefore, several of the 165 solar power plants installed on degraded peatlands in Germany are inadvertently emitting more greenhouse gases than the carbon-free energy they generate.
In contrast to agricultural energy production, which maintains grazing and crop cultivation surrounding solar installations, peatland solar energy currently only generates revenue through electricity sales. The Watt Manufacturer Solar Park is one of only five projects located on wet peatlands. Solar developers often face increased expenses because they must install deeper foundations and wait for the summer dry season to commence construction.
Since 2023, Germany has prohibited solar facilities on degraded peatlands from receiving guaranteed minimum electricity pricing, although developers do not always have to disclose whether their projects are situated on drained peatlands.
Waite believes additional government incentives will be pivotal for the growth of peatland solar initiatives. “To tackle both global warming and the biodiversity crisis, alongside our food production needs, we must manage land sustainably to yield multiple benefits,” she asserts. “A win-win scenario is essential.”
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Source: www.newscientist.com
