United Kingdom

How our solar farms deliver ecosystem enhancements

This week Solar Power Europe released the entries for its Solar Flora and Fauna photo competition, showcasing the various initiatives that solar projects can also implement to help support nature and biodiversity. 

Our solar projects are developing across the world, as the transition to a low-carbon future progresses. Enhancing biodiversity is always at the forefront of our projects.

Once constructed our projects offer an ideal location to boost the biodiversity and resilience of the local ecosystem, providing a place for wildlife to co-exist. 

Biodiversity can be increased in several ways on solar farms and the initiatives are usually tailored to the existing environment, so that our sites act as a boost to the surrounding area’s ecosystem. As a first step our environmental assessments help us understand the local ecosystem, and how we can enhance it. This means that different projects host different planting schemes and play home to a variety of animals. 

In the UK we host Hares, Partridges, Pheasants, Tortoiseshell Butterflies amongst many other invertebrates, birds and small mammals. Our land management team help to boost the habitability of these sites through a range of post-construction initiatives, including seeding of native flora and wildflower mixes. 

Related news

21 May, 2025

Supporting farm diversification at Farmers Weekly Transition Live

Earlier this month, members of the Lightsource bp team were at Leeds University Farm for the Farmers Weekly Transition Live event.

Read Story

02 Apr, 2025

Lightsource bp contributes to the World Economic Forum’s conversation on responsible renewables deployment practices

Lightsource bp’s Penny Laurenson, Global Head of Sustainability, contributed to WEF’s conversation and thought leadership on responsible deployment practices.

Read Story

26 Mar, 2025

Plans unveiled for new Hurst Farm Energy Storage project, Tibshelf

Lightsource bp will be outlining its proposal to develop a 99.9MW energy storage project at Hurst Farm, Tibshelf

Read Story