Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-04-01
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Raphael Gros, Professor of Soil Ecology and Conservation at the Mediterranean Institute of Biodiversity and Marine and Continental Ecology (IMBE), Aix-Marseille University (AMU)
While solar energy is rapidly developing in many French regions, its impact on biodiversity is the subject of unprecedented studies. It varies depending on the installation sites, but also the height and spacing of the panels, for example.
Between 75,000 and 124,000 hectares. Such is, in theprospective scenarios of Ademe, the area mobilized by ground photovoltaic systems to reach between 92 and 144 gigawatts by 2050. If theFrench governmentIt now aims for 48 gigawatts by 2030 and up to 80 gigawatts by 2035, and although it has recently slowed the deployment of solar power in favor of nuclear energy, the development of this renewable energy nevertheless remains an already ongoing strategic priority, notably sinceAper Law of 2023.
But while solar energy is booming in many regions of France, many questions deserve our attention:
Which plants still grow in the shade of the panels? Do insects persist in the areas where solar panels are installed? How can a solar panel field limit wildlife?
On the ground, solar park developers, environmental consulting firms, local authorities, associations, scientists, state administrative services, and natural space managers are faced with a major challenge: how to produce renewable energy while preserving living organisms?
Which biodiversities are concerned?
In fact, the installation of photovoltaic parks, operated for thirty to forty years, is not merely a simple occupation of space by an above-ground infrastructure. These infrastructures, particularly the solar panels, through their impacts on the soil and climate, can in some cases constitute a real upheaval for living organisms.
Positive, neutral, or negative effects are likely to impact all scales of biological organization, from the biomolecule to the landscape, including species and communities, and thus the functioning of ecosystems.
Today, the design of these parks is governed by the Avoid-Reduce-Compensate (ARC) sequence provided in the Environmental Code. This aims for no net loss of biodiversity, applying to species, natural habitats, and ecological functions.
The levers for reducing impacts quickly reach their limits if the application of the ERC sequence focuses solely on the list of protected species without integrating the different dimensions of biodiversity, particularly ecological functions (nutrient cycles, pollination, migratory corridors, among others) affected by land use changes. It is also necessary to take into account changes in biodiversity at different spatial scales — from the site to the landscape — and temporal scales, from immediate consequences to long-term trajectories.
Ecological impacts that are better and better documented but contrasted
The construction phase is generally associated withmost significant disturbances. For example, we observed soils of lower quality very quickly after the construction of a photovoltaic power plant in the south of France, resulting in areduction of its physical and biological propertiesHowever,other scientistshave observed an increase in phosphorus, potassium, and nitrate levels, 6 years after the installation of solar panels in arid ecosystems.
During the operational phase, the nature, extent, intensity, and duration of the impacts (Figure 1) vary from one region to another and depend on the technical design choices (panel height, width of the inter-rows, presence of tracks constructed with compacted exogenous materials), of thevegetation management methods.
Provided by the author
For example, under the panels, microclimate changes are unfavorable to arthropods, in particularto pollinators, todiverse plant communitiesand to the activities ofsoil organisms. In drier regions, however, photovoltaic panels can instead alleviate water and heat stress, thereby increasing the survival and productivity of sensitive plantsto high heat and intense light.
Finally, the impacts of the plant dismantling phase or the replacement of the solar panels remain to be documented. This phase could constitute an additional temporary disturbance but potentially reversible, the effects of which may depend on the technical characteristics of these works and the capacity of the environments to regenerate after the site remediation.
A major issue: the pre-project occupation and the destination of the lands
The impacts of photovoltaic power plants on biodiversity also depend on the historical use of the sites on which the installations are located and on the ecological value ofsurrounding environments. Some power plants built in degraded environments can create habitats favorable to certain specieslike bumblebeesand thebirds dependent on the meadows, while the installation of solar parks in forests and semi-natural environments (heaths, permanent meadows, lawns, scrublands, marshes…) can lead to habitat fragmentation and significant biodiversity losses.
For example, constructions in the Landes de Gasconne cause, compared to similar grassland environments, a significant loss ofwild bees and other pollinators, and promote the development of ruderal species (that is to say, those that grow spontaneously in environments heavily degraded by humans) or invasive exotic species ifthese practices involve soil work.
It is therefore crucial to prioritize the conversion of industrial wastelands, degraded or polluted sites, landfills, as well as agricultural plots in order to limit the impact on wild species, and even to offer opportunities for the restoration of certain habitats and ecological corridors (passages that ensure connections between biodiversity reservoirs), subject to environmental management andadapted fences.
Agricultural lands occupy a special position in the development of solar parks. Some of them, particularly those subjected to intensive practices, exhibit a state of biodiversity andoften degraded ecological functioning, which could make them priority areas for the installation of photovoltaic power plants in a logic of reduced ecological impact. However, in France, socio-economic and regulatory constraints still largely limit their use for solar energy production, unlike in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, or the United Kingdom, where the majority of photovoltaic power plants are installed on agricultural land.
Can ground-based photovoltaics be reconciled with biodiversity conservation?
The ability of projects to preserve biodiversity will therefore depend closely on territorial planning, based on robust scientific knowledge, a complete and ecologically effective ERC sequence, as well as a shared local will.
The primary lever for reducing impacts is planning that avoids areas with high ecological value, ideally with consultation from local stakeholders. Territorial authorities responsible for planning should be made aware of this issue. The obligation for developers to ensure that site selection choices for projects are compatible with territorial planning documents (PLU, PLUi, SCoT, PCAET, etc.) and charters or framework documents associated with protected areas must be respected.
The construction of photovoltaic power plants on already degraded land (not forgetting roofs and parking lots) can, when combined with ecological restoration and provided these objectives are integrated from the design phase and evaluated over the long term, constitute a win-win strategy for both energy and ecological challenges. The construction of small plants and the reduction of their density within a given territory would preserve ecological connectivity.
The second lever aims at the development of installations with low ecological impacts. Thus, a spacing of the rows of panels at least equivalent to the width of the panels and an increase in the minimum height beyond the 1.10 meters recommended inthe decree of December 29, 2023on soil artificialization would promote the diversification of habitats and the most favorable microclimatic conditions with less shade, less exclusion of rain, and fewer temperature modifications.
Mowing or extensive grazing, and outside the flowering period, would be more favorable for the conservation of plant diversity and pollinators than intensive vegetation management.
A collaborative effort between researchers and planners is expected on quantifying the loss of ecological functions and on the development of reduction and compensation techniques.
Only under these conditions can ground-mounted photovoltaic systems contribute to the energy and climate transitions by aligning with a positive ecological trajectory integrated into local areas. It also seems essential to emphasize not opposing the pursuit of energy sobriety and the protection of living beings.
Véronique de Billy (French Office for Biodiversity) and Thomas Eglin (Agency for Ecological Transition) were reviewers of this article.
Gros Raphael received funding from ADEME (REMEDE project) and OFB.
Armin Bischoff received funding from the Engie Green-ANRT-University of Tours-Avignon University consortium (Cifre grant awarded to Louison BIENVENU), from ADEME (REMEDE project, grant awarded to Quentin LAMBERT), and from CESAB (ESEB project, postdoctoral grant awarded to Lucas ETIENNE).
Bertrand Schatz received funding from the ANR for various topics and from Ademe and the OFB (Remede project) for the subject of renewable energies, but without conflicts or links of interest.
Quentin Lambert received funding from ADEME
Alexandra Bideau and Arnaud Lec’hvien do not work for, advise, hold shares in, or receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and have declared no other affiliation than their academic positions.
–ref. Can we develop ground-based photovoltaics without harming biodiversity? –https://theconversation.com/can-photovoltaic-be-developed-on-the-ground-without-harming-biodiversity-278254