Is habitat-friendly solar energy a viable way to protect insect populations?

The relatively rapid (<5 years) insect community responses to habitat restoration at solar energy sites demonstrate that habitat-friendly solar energy is a feasible way to safeguard insect populations and their agricultural services for crop production. Ground-mounted solar energy facilities require large amounts of land.

Can solar energy support insect conservation?

(Image by Argonne National Laboratory/Lee Walston.) Global insect biodiversity has been in decline due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. Argonne scientists studied whether renewable energy can support insect conservation by examining habitats established at solar energy facilities.

What is habitat-friendly solar energy?

Habitat-friendly solar energy is a relatively novel concept that has not been empirically studied. The research team conducted field work at solar sites in Minnesota that had been planted with seeds of native wildflowers and prairie grasses.

How do I build an off-grid solar power system?

Start small. Test your setup with just one panel and a battery. Monitor how much power you’re using and how quickly your battery charges. From there, you can expand your system with more panels or batteries as needed. Building your own off-grid solar power system can feel intimidating—but with the right info, it’s totally doable.

How much land does solar energy use?

Solar energy’s footprint is land-use intensive (km2/TWhr) rel-ative to other renewable and traditional forms of energy (Trainor et al. 2016) and may require between six to eight acres per MW (DOE 2021a).

How can a PV solar system reduce habitat loss?

Minimization will come in two forms — on-site habi-tat restoration and fatality reduction. On-site habitat restoration has garnered much attention in the PV solar industry in the form of pollinator-friendly solar or native grassland restoration to minimize habitat loss within the footprint.