Lightsource bp teams up with Plymouth university to capture biodiversity on site

Solar projects offer an ideal location for wildlife to thrive, boosting the biodiversity and resilience of local ecosystems.

Following last year’s impressive results of a biodiversity and habitat net gain survey, we have partnered with the University of Plymouth to capture the diverse flora and fauna inhabiting the local solar projects.

The collaboration showcases the coexistence between solar energy infrastructure and the natural species that inhabit the sites, emphasising the vital steps we take to preserve and protect biodiversity on our solar projects, as well as giving the students an insight into the world of solar.

Eve Brown, a second year BA Photography student from the University of Plymouth visited and photographed the Trefinnick project several times over the course of a few weeks. Trefininnick generates 5MW of electricity a year and is in the top five of the 10 solar sites surveyed showing positive habitat gains around solar panels.

Our sustainability strategy is a continued commitment and one of our core values, the independent WSP audit was commissioned to better understand the BNG value of our existing operational sites. Through careful habitat creation and biodiversity enhancement, we will continue to implement measures to deliver BNG on all our existing and future projects.

Penny Laurenson, Global Head of Sustainability & Director of Environmental Affairs at Lightsource bp, said “Over the past decade we’ve documented evidence of flourishing biodiversity on our solar farms. This collaboration with photography students is a brilliant initiative to capture the natural habitats thriving on our sites and demonstrate how solar projects help both to decarbonise our world’s energy and support nature. This is a great opportunity for the students to understand the solar industry’s positive impacts.”

Dr Heidi Morstang, Associate Professor in Photography at the University of Plymouth, said “Our second year BA (hons) Photography students at the University of Plymouth are working on a collaboration project where UN’s Sustainable Development Goals are at the forefront. Lightsource bp provided an exciting opportunity for students to work with solar panel installations in rural locations in the Southwest. We were impressed by Lightsource bp’s commitment to introduce our students to the sites and provide information around visualisation.

“Not only has this been a rich experience working with Lightsource bp but it has been a great opportunity for our students to visually interpret the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals to work towards a more environmentally sustainable future.”

Find out more about Lightsource bp’s environmental stewardship.