Evaluating potential effects of solar power facilities on wildlife from an animal behavior perspective

Rachel Y Chock,Bradley F Blackwell,Elizabeth K Peterson,Pauline Toni,Kathleen Church,Gabriel Francescoli,Peter M Sanzenbacher,Daniel T Blumstein,Alison L Greggor,Paul Kemp,Gabriela M Pinho,Bruce A Schulte,Esteban Fernández‐Juricic,Barbara Clucas

doi:10.1111/csp2.319

Abstract

AbstractSolar power is a renewable energy source with great potential to help meet increasing global energy demands and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. However, research is scarce on how solar facilities affect wildlife. With input from professionals in ecology, conservation, and energy, we conducted a research‐prioritization process and identified key questions needed to better understand impacts of solar facilities on wildlife. We focused on animal behavior, which can be used to identify population responses before mortality or other fitness consequences are documented. Behavioral studies can also offer approaches to understand the mechanisms leading to negative interactions (e.g., collision, singeing, avoidance) and provide insight into mitigating effects. Here, we review how behavioral responses to solar facilities, including perception, movement, habitat use, and interspecific interactions are priority research areas. Addressing these themes will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of solar power on wildlife and guide future mitigation.

Highlights

As the global human population continues to grow, energy demand increases (IEA, 2019; Pazheri, Othman, & Malik, 2014)
Solar energy technologies typically fall into two main categories: (a) PV cells that convert sunlight into electrical current (Figures 1a and 2) concentrating solar power (CSP) which uses mirrors to focus sunlight to heat fluids that power steam turbines or generators (Figure 1b,c)
Animal behavior has been used to understand and develop approaches to mitigate avian collisions at airports (Blackwell & Fernández-Juricic, 2013). It is imperative for the solar industry to incorporate behavioral research in a relatively early stage of the solar boom, to ensure solar power is sustainable for local wildlife populations and to avoid similar developmental and legal pitfalls that plagued the wind industry in its early boom (Brown & Escobar, 2007)

Summary

| INTRODUCTION

As the global human population continues to grow, energy demand increases (IEA, 2019; Pazheri, Othman, & Malik, 2014). Animal behavior has been used to understand and develop approaches to mitigate avian collisions at airports (Blackwell & Fernández-Juricic, 2013) It is imperative for the solar industry to incorporate behavioral research in a relatively early stage of the solar boom, to ensure solar power is sustainable for local wildlife populations and to avoid similar developmental and legal pitfalls that plagued the wind industry in its early boom (Brown & Escobar, 2007). We can identify key behavioral responses by studying how species perceive solar facility structures (Kagan et al, 2014) relative to surrounding landscape elements For example, can experience risk of mortality due to collision (i.e., direct contact with the solar facility), solarflux (i.e., birds are either burned or singed by exposure to the solar facility; Figure 2a), or become stranded

Quantify key sensory mechanisms of species with high mortality at facilities

Findings

| CONCLUSIONS