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Empowering environmental sustainability
Lightsource bp’s model is to develop, own and operate our solar farms throughout their full life cycle. With solar farms having a life span of around 40 years, it’s important to us to be stewards of the land and long-term partners of local communities. We call our approach Responsible Solar.
Our Responsible Solar approach to environmental sustainability
Our commitment to a sustainable future goes beyond delivering safe, clean and affordable energy. As part of our Responsible Solar approach, we design and implement site-specific Land Management and Biodiversity Plans at our projects to achieve biodiversity net gains, foster habitats and support agrivoltaics. Our vision is to be an industry leader in the innovation and use of sustainable land management and biodiversity practices to help plants, animals, soils, and people thrive throughout the lifespan of our projects.
Boosting biodiversity
Solar farms can increase ecosystem productivity and achieve biodiversity net gain.
Integrating agriculture
Agrivoltaics benefits rural economies and keeps farmland in production.
Habitat conservation
Solar farms make safe, stable homes for birds and other species.
Improving soil health
Soil rests and rejuvenates during a solar farm’s life.
Supporting pollinators
We co-locate pollinator habitat on our project sites.
Lifecycle management
We are committed to recycling all solar panels used at our US projects.
Co-locating conservation and agriculture with multiuse solar projects
The primary purpose of solar is to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation in order to mitigate climate change. Dual-use solar layers additional social, agricultural or ecosystem benefits into the solar farm.
Lightsource bp often goes a step beyond dual land use, building multiuse solar projects on which clean energy generation, agriculture, habitat enhancement, conservation, and research share the land under and around the solar panels.
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
The solar energy produced by our solar farms lowers greenhouse gas emissions, improving the health of people and the environment they live in. As of January 2022, our operational projects in the US abate over 1.3 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of removing over 290,000 fuel burning cars off the road each year.
Recycling & lifecycle management on solar farms
As part of our Responsible Solar approach, we’re committed to managing our solar farms across America with the best interests of communities — and the land — in mind. This includes responsible end-of-life management of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Exclusively using preferred recycling partners that have been evaluated by the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), we recycle all solar panels that are damaged or nonfunctioning during construction and operations, as well as panels that are decommissioned.
Recycling facilities that have been vetted by SEIA:
- Must collect and process in the US, no exporting
- Must be accredited
- Must strive for maximum material recovery second life usage
- Must work sustainably and promote sustainability
Lightsource bp is a board member of SEIA. Together, we are dedicated to responsible end-of-life management and are proactively developing collection and recycling processes for the solar industry as a whole.
Learn more about how we’re empowering environmental sustainability through Responsible Solar
Nov 29, 2022
Video: Meet families raising sheep on solar farms
Solar grazing brings new hope to America's farmers
Oct 07, 2021
Restoring prairie and sinking carbon in Colorado
Sinking carbon on solar farms: A new kind of PV + Storage
Nov 14, 2022
Mapping our way to a more resilient future
Learn about Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Aug 06, 2022
Solar farm, living laboratory: Lightsource bp’s Nittany solar projects in Pennsylvania
Learn about research at our sites
Jul 28, 2022
Lightsource bp recognized by Global Electronics Council for leadership in sustainability
EPEAT Ecolabel Purchaser Award
Oct 18, 2022
Boosting biodiversity with pollinator habitat enhancements at Black Bear Solar
Pollinator conservation in Alabama
Feb 14, 2022
Preserving habitat and integrating agriculture at Impact Solar
Habitat enhancement & agrivoltaics in Texas
Apr 13, 2023
Researching the benefits of pollinator conservation at Bellflower Solar
Habitat enhancement in Indiana
May 16, 2023
Supporting sheep and local biodiversity at Elm Branch and Briar Creek solar farms
Agrivoltaics in Texas
Aug 17, 2021
First Lightsource bp U.S. agrivoltaics program launches in Pennsylvania
Solar grazing is a win-win-win