Using solar energy to power a brighter future

The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050. This means moving from fossils fuels to clean energy that doesn’t produce climate-warming carbon emissions, such as solar and wind. In this article, we take a look at solar power and how we can deliver new solar projects that not only help us tackle climate change, but protect and restore nature too. 

To fight climate change there is an urgent need to increase the amount of energy produced by renewable sources. This includes a huge increase in solar power, which involves using solar panels to harness energy from the sun to generate electricity.  

The Climate Change Committee estimated in 2024 that solar capacity must increase fivefold by 2030, and in December 2024 the UK Government published its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which set a target for nearly three times more solar capacity by 2030, compared to 2024.

Climate change is the greatest threat to nature and we fully support the need to increase our use of renewable energy, including solar energy, through the use of rooftop and ground-mounted panels. We believe the UK Government and devolved administrations should go much further in supporting solar – but this must not come at the expense of important sites for nature.  

The good news is that a growing body of evidence suggests that solar farms can be beneficial to nature when they are not built on sites that are already important for wildlife and when they are managed to help wildlife. The RSPB has conducted research that found solar farms with a mix of habitats can support higher numbers of birds than nearby intensively farmed cropland and solar farms where there is little habitat. Several studies have also found that solar farms managed with nature in mind can boost pollinator numbers.

When planning renewable energy, it’s important that a strategic and spatial approach is taken, to ensure that solar farms are built in areas that are of low risk to nature, and where they can help to deliver on the UK’s nature recovery targets as well as our net zero targets. New solar farms should always be located away from areas of ecological risk, nature-protected sites and other sites that are important for rare and declining species.   

There has been some concern that solar farms pose a threat to our national food security or food production, but this is not the case, especially when they are built on low- or moderate-grade agricultural land. Planning policies in each of four UK nations discourage solar farms from being built on high-grade agricultural land.  

As well as delivering clean power, it’s possible for new solar projects to help wildlife at the same time. 

Since solar panels are raised above the ground, there’s room for wildflower strips, hedgerows and other wildlife-friendly enhancements to be added alongside them. When combined with reduced pesticide use, these measures can actually boost pollinator populations and provide more food and habitat for small mammals and birds. 

These measures don’t cost much and once in place they’re often cheaper to maintain than ‘mowed’ solar farms with no habitat creation. 

Since 2021, we’ve been working with solar farm and energy storage developer Lightrock Power to support their ambition to go beyond legal requirements to support and enhance nature through Biodiversity Net Gain. Similarly, we have worked with Econergy since 2023 and Elements Green since late 2024.  

For example, the RSPB’s Business Conservation Advice team has advised Lightrock Power on wildlife-friendly measures for 500 hectares of proposed solar development, with encouraging results. This includes Lightrock’s Paytherden Solar Farm in Devon, which is expected to achieve a 22% Biodiversity Net Gain in habitats. This means that the site will be 22% better for wildlife than it was before.   

Working with Elements Green and charity partners, the RSPB is also advising on a solar project in Newark-on-Trent with a potential capacity to generate 800MW of solar energy. That’s enough to supply 400,000 homes. Our advice aims to ensure that ambitious biodiversity targets are met through mitigation and enhancement measures, including for Skylarks and Lapwings, which require extra support.  

It’s clear that solar power has the potential to tackle the nature and climate crises in tandem. To enable solar power to help us reach net zero, as well as protect and restore nature, we would like to see the following: