The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund just lately launched its new Photo voltaic Synergy program alongside venture companion Monarch Joint Enterprise. This system works instantly with photo voltaic builders to strategically design and monitor high-quality pollinator habitats inside utility-scale renewable power tasks. By the beneficiant monetary assist of companies and foundations, this system is being provided at no extra value to the builders.
“Pollinators are an essential keystone species which are in dire want of habitat,” stated Peter Berthelsen, government director of The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund. “By this program, we’ll have an unbelievable alternative to work collaboratively with photo voltaic builders to not solely enhance pollinator well being and habitat, however to additionally ship a set of serious environmental and sustainability advantages that embody carbon sequestration, elevated soil well being, higher water high quality and extra.”
The brand new Photo voltaic Synergy program consists of uniquely designed outcomes that ship 4 key advantages to renewable power tasks:
- Excessive-value pollinator seed mixtures: This system makes use of NextGen Conservation customized seed mixtures, that are designed contemplating a minimum of 15 various factors and venture aims. This ensures that not solely are the photo voltaic venture aims being met, however that the venture produces important pollinator well being and habitat advantages. Two completely different seed mixtures will probably be used on every venture: one to be used inside the photo voltaic array space that’s designed to work with every venture’s photo voltaic panel heights, and one used within the buffer, or open areas of the venture, designed with 40+ completely different native wildflower species. These NextGen seed mixtures not solely promote biodiversity, but additionally significantly improve soil well being and enhance water high quality inside the photo voltaic website.
- Intensive monitoring of pollinator well being: Contemplating the large declines within the variety of pollinators, together with the monarch butterfly and honey bee, it’s extra essential now than ever earlier than to doc the outcomes of those tasks. The Monarch Joint Enterprise will accumulate baseline and ongoing pollinator and habitat data for Photo voltaic Synergy program websites on an annual foundation. An intensive listing of well being and habitat outcomes will probably be monitored and recorded together with the documentation of which floral sources the pollinators are utilizing inside the habitat, which pollinator species are current and the abundance of milkweed, an important useful resource for monarch butterflies. There may be an anticipated enhance within the total presence of pollinators in addition to different wildlife, similar to grassland songbirds.
- Carbon sequestration documentation: By the usage of thoughtfully engineered seed mixtures, the power for these photo voltaic websites to sequester a major quantity of carbon is an extra environmental good thing about this system. Baseline and ongoing carbon readings will probably be used to doc carbon sequestration beneficial properties. This system will then assist join purchasers of potential carbon credit to every venture. The Bee and Butterfly Habitat Fund already has entities ready in line to buy carbon credit which will grow to be accessible on the websites.
- Elevated alternative for honey manufacturing: The quantity of honey consumed within the U.S. that’s really being produced inside the nation has decreased during the last decade to only 25%. One of many greatest causes for the lower in U.S.-sourced honey manufacturing is the dearth of entry to high-quality forage, or honey bee habitat. As a result of the Photo voltaic Synergy program will probably be producing a considerable amount of high-quality pollinator habitat on venture websites, there’s a distinctive alternative to attach photo voltaic venture builders to business beekeepers. Rising beekeepers’ entry to high-quality pollinator habitat can create alternatives to extend the manufacturing of domestically sourced honey.
“General, we couldn’t be extra enthusiastic about this system and the curiosity that has already been proven by each photo voltaic builders and finish customers,” Berthelsen stated. “The constructive impression potential on the surroundings utilizing this multi-benefit strategy is unbelievable and the truth that we’re capable of supply these crucial providers and assist without charge to the builders is the icing on the cake. By combining our experience with pollinators and dealing collaboratively with the renewable power trade, we will make an enormous distinction in producing clear power whereas documenting pollinator well being and habitat success.”
Information merchandise from the Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund
