Promoting sustainable solar-energy development in harmony with global threatened bird ranges

Abstract

The growth of solar-energy projects has raised concerns about its potential negative impacts on biodiversity. Through a comprehensive analysis of geographic range data, we assess the potential conflict between photovoltaic development and threatened bird species worldwide. The analysis reveals that 97.4% of areas with significant solar-energy potential intersect with ranges of multiple threatened bird species, with over 17.0% of these supporting at least 10 threatened bird species. Additionally, we estimate that the adoption of biodiversity-friendly policies may entail a median cost of approximately 1.2% of a typical solar photovoltaic project's profit margin. We propose four cost-effective mitigation strategies, offering quantitative insights to promote the adoption of a biodiversity-friendly solar-energy strategy, enhancing the sustainability of renewable projects. This study enhances our understanding of the conflict between solar-energy expansion and the preservation of threatened bird species, and it also contributes to new strategies for a more sustainable-energy future.