Use these resources to increase your understanding of Solar Energy and Wildlife

Project background

This project will conduct empirical research to collect data at ground-mounted solar facilities in the Northeast for developing an IDM that could inform site design, management, and monitoring decisions for the solar industry and other stakeholders. A high-level conceptual model representing the project’s technical scope is presented in Figure 1. The data flow between budget periods shows the transition from site monitoring (BP1 and 2) to exploring causal relationships (BP2 and 3) that can be assessed for changes in decision parameters and integrated into the IDM.

INFORMATION ON BIRDS

Birds | US Forest Service Research and Development (usda.gov)

Solar Power and Birds | Audubon

Search, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Pollinator Solar Scorecards

Pacific Northwest: Northern California and Oregon Scorecard – created by Fresh Energy and Pollinator Partnership
Southern California Scorecard – created by UCDavis, Fresh Energy and Pollinator Partnership
Illinois scorecard – created by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Indiana scorecard – created by Purdue University
Maryland scorecard – created by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Michigan scorecard – created by Michigan State University and Michigan Pollinator Initiative
Minnesota scorecard – created by the Minnesota State Board of Water and Soil Resources
Missouri scorecard – created by the University of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Entomology
North Carolina scorecard – created by the North Carolina Pollinator Conservation Alliance
Ohio scorecard – created by Fresh Energy and Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative
South Carolina – created by Clemson University and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Vermont scorecard – created by the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Initiative of Vermont
13. Virginia scorecard – created by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

State Certification Programs

South Carolina:
https://www.clemson.edu/public/regulatory/fert-seed/solar/index.html
https://www.dnr.sc.gov/solar/
Maryland Certification Solar:
Generation Facilities – Pollinator-Friendly Designation
Massachusetts Pollinator-Friendly Certification Program: https://ag.umass.edu/clean-energy/services/pollinator-friendly-solar-pv-for-massachusetts

Other Relevant Resources

Virginia Pollinator-Smart Comprehensive Manual: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/solar-site-comprehensive-manual.pdf
Virginia Pollinator Smart: https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/pollinator-smart
Fresh Energy pollinator solar webinars:
https://fresh-energy.org/beeslovesolar/best-practices-and-training
List of states with pollinator legislation passed or proposed:
How Are U.S. States Improving Protections for Pollinator Species in 2023? | National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.

Resources

Use these resources to increase your understanding of Solar Energy and Wildlife

Project background

INFORMATION ON BIRDS

Pollinator Solar Scorecards

Pacific Northwest: Northern California and Oregon Scorecard – created by Fresh Energy and Pollinator Partnership

Southern California Scorecard – created by UCDavis, Fresh Energy and Pollinator Partnership

Illinois scorecard – created by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Indiana scorecard – created by Purdue University

Maryland scorecard – created by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Michigan scorecard – created by Michigan State University and Michigan Pollinator Initiative

Minnesota scorecard – created by the Minnesota State Board of Water and Soil Resources

Missouri scorecard – created by the University of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Entomology

North Carolina scorecard – created by the North Carolina Pollinator Conservation Alliance

Ohio scorecard – created by Fresh Energy and Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative

South Carolina – created by Clemson University and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Vermont scorecard – created by the Pollinator-Friendly Solar Initiative of Vermont

13. Virginia scorecard – created by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

State Certification Programs

Other Relevant Resources

Bird Conservation Fact Sheet

Bird Conservation Fact Sheet

Pollinator Conservation Fact Sheet

Pollinator Conservation Fact Sheet