A study shows that agrophotovoltaic projects tripled the abundance of insects in five years, by creating shaded and pesticide-free areas.
Photovoltaic technology has been adopted on a large scale since its installation and maintenance costs have been decreasing since its invention in recent years. Its advantages go beyond taking advantage of the sun to generate electricity. Solar panels create shaded areas that reduce the evaporation of irrigation water and protect crops from heat waves, but not only that.
They are also efficient in repopulating the field with bees, are the conclusions of a study by the Argonne National Laboratory focused on two giant photovoltaic installations in the southern area of ??the state of Minnesota, in the United States of America (USA).
The disappearance of species around the world due to unrestrained land use for agricultural purposes and intensive use of pesticides is a threat to the planet’s biodiversity and our own food supply.
Insects that pollinate the plants we eat or that livestock eat, such as bee populations, are some of the species most affected. There are over twenty thousand species of bees in the world and they are directly or indirectly responsible for 80% of all food globally, through pollination.
Pollination is very important for the environment. It not only maintains but ensures the survival of various species of living beings and the environment in which they live. Agriculture also depends on pollination, reproducing what is cultivated. Almost 90% of the world’s wild flower plant species require animal pollination.
Bees are essential for life on the planet
Thinking of a solution to the problem, the state of Minnesota demonstrated that agrophotovoltaic projects, which seek maximum synergy between photovoltaic energy and agriculture by installing solar panels on cultivated land, can reverse the decline in bee populations and exponentially increase the diversity of insects and flowers.
A five-year investigation into two large-scale solar installations in the south of this American state has shown promising results for these insects, with benefits that go beyond the creation of new habitats.
Bees are directly or indirectly responsible for 80% of all food in the world, through pollination.
The study concluded that these agrophotovoltaic projects not only maximize land use by benefiting agricultural production with energy generation, but are also responsible for creating new shaded and pesticide-free habitats for insects.
Interstitial spaces between solar panels help multiply healthy populations of bees and other insects beneficial to crops, resulting in increased agricultural productivity through increased pollination and natural pest control.
Amazing side effects of photovoltaic projects
The research revealed that adjacent fields and agricultural fields also benefited from more bees visiting. There was an increase in the diversity of native plant species and abundance of flowers.
“The study demonstrates that, if properly sited, habitat-friendly solar can be a viable way to protect insect populations and improve pollination services in adjacent agricultural fields.”
Lee Walston, ecologist and lead author of the study.
Total insect abundance tripled on these lands, and the team of researchers observed an increased diversity of native pollinating insects and agriculturally beneficial insects, including native bees and bumblebees, butterflies, beetles, and more.
The researchers say their findings suggest two important implications. The first is that these habitat-friendly solar projects can play an essential role in biodiversity conservation. Second, they can help mitigate land-use conflicts associated with the conversion of agricultural land to solar energy production.
Waltson, L., Hartmann, H., Fox, L. (2023). If you build it, will they come? Insect community responses to habitat establishment at solar energy facilities in Minnesota, USA. Environ. Res. Lett. 19 014053.
