Solar parks are increasingly being ‘demonized‘ as enemies of nature, destroyers of agricultural land, and environmental pollutants. These are the arguments of one of the two opposing sides in the debate. The other side views them through the lens of energy independence and the generation of clean electricity.
As an environmental organization with a 30-year history, we are often asked which side we are on. Our answer has always been in favor of clean energy used by households and small-to-medium enterprises in the form of photovoltaic systems on rooftops and industrial spaces. However, some consider such an answer a way of dodging a definitive position.
The lack of reliable, independent information based on hands-on experience in this field has not given us sufficient grounds to take a definitive stance. That is why, over the next few months, we are embarking on an unconventional experiment.
Solar Park and Nature
We have decided to test whether technology and wildlife can coexist. We will install 55 animal and bird shelters within the territory of a solar park. To monitor the functionality and effectiveness of the installed houses, we will observe what happens in the area using 6 surveillance cameras.
We will carry out our activities on the territory of the ‘St. George’ solar park, owned by REZOLV Energy. It is built on an abandoned industrial site – a former civil-military airfield in the region of the village of Polkovnik Lambrinovo, near the city of Silistra. Its capacity is 225 MWp.
Together with the local community
To ensure transparency in our work, we will involve the local community and publish information about every step of our experiment. And since the Public Environmental Center for Sustainable Development actively works with children and young people in the field of environmental education, we will involve students from the area. Part of the installation of the shelters will be carried out as a demonstration event in collaboration with students from a local school.
Because the ultimate goal of every one of our initiatives is to provoke a desire and action for the protection of nature.
Popular science film
The initiative will not remain isolated only in the Silistra region. Every stage of the process will be filmed, including with the use of a drone. The final result of this media coverage will be an educational popular science film.
The film will include footage of the shelter installation, interviews with participants in the campaign and representatives of the local community. It will also feature the history of the site and the region, its current role as a green energy producer, and its sustainable development. The completed film will be provided free of charge for use in educational programs in schools across the country.
Coexistence between technology and wildlife
New environmental standards and innovative projects prove that industrial spaces can also generate significant additional benefits for the environment. It is time to test and demonstrate how. Instead of driving away local fauna, the construction of a solar park can create conditions that help wildlife live undisturbed and raise offspring in the same area. This can happen if the investment also focuses on the protection and development of habitats for various wild animal species.
Our actions
We will procure and install specialized shelters, distributed strategically according to the needs of the local ecosystem: 25 for hedgehogs, 20 for tits (blue tits), and 5 each for squirrels and dormice. The installation will be carried out under the guidance of two experts.
Digital monitoring: To track the functionality of the installed shelters and demonstrate the effectiveness of the measures, 6 surveillance cameras will be purchased and installed to monitor how the animals adapt to their new homes.
Information campaign: A special educational sign dedicated to the region’s biodiversity will be installed in the project area to inform visitors and on-site personnel.
The ‘Home for Wild Neighbors’ initiative aims to experiment with whether modern energy production and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand, and how this can be achieved. Could the transformation of a former airfield into a shared home for both technology and wildlife become a path toward a more sustainable and responsible future?
Photo: Rezolv Energy
