US Solar Industry Addressing Environmental Impacts

[Nathanael]

The fact the solar industry is continuing to look for ways to become more sustainable is fantastic--there are still other life on the planet besides us and our computers.


Renewable energy critics are quick to point out the environmental impacts of large-scale renewable energy projects, like the birds killed by wind turbines or the wildlife displaced by solar arrays.

In the U.S., the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is addressing the environmental impacts of utility-scale solar installations at its newest solar array near Boulder, CO. The array sits on nearly 8 acres of mostly native shortgrass prairie, and like most PV array fields, the vegetation and wildlife in this type of ecosystem recovers more slowly from disturbances. NREL biologists are studying the new array to better understand how these areas are impacted and identify best practices for managing habitat and wildlife. The goal is to learn how to make other NREL projects and solar installations more sustainable by protecting native plants and animals and their ecosystems.

Source: http://www.energyboom.com/solar/us-solar-industry-addressing-environmental-impacts