The 6 mistakes we will no longer make in the Environmental Assessment of photovoltaic solar plants

It is clear that the prospects for photovoltaic solar energy in Spain are good. Either because of the continuous fall in installation prices or because of the upcoming auctions to meet the EU's 2020 energy objective. The fact is that, whether we like it or not, our fields will most likely be populated with photovoltaic solar plants again.

I present here my experience in situations that I experienced around photovoltaic solar energy back in 2006 and following years. Situations that I believe must be taken into account to face the new development of photovoltaic solar energy now. I present a list of situations, making a retrospective of some of the cases in which I was able to participate and I explain my judgment and humble proposal for a solution.

It would be enriching to have the contribution of many environmental impact assessment technicians from the administration who were working at the time -I await your contributions-

Not all solar plants are equal before the law (environmental impact assessment)

Before That's how it was, depending on the expertise of developers, designers and consultants, and on the judgment of the different Administrations, some solar plants (or orchards, as they were colloquially called because of the social aspect they seemed to have) were subjected to a regulated procedure of environmental impact assessment, others don't. As is often the case, a sector or activity is ahead of laws, laws that were not prepared to face procedures for evaluating the environmental impact of photovoltaic solar plants that were being developed overnight and throughout the national territory. This meant that, since the solar resource is omnipresent, photovoltaic solar plants were considered anywhere and in any situation.

Every environmental consultant believed they were working for the project of the largest solar plant in Spain or Europe. The really striking thing is that it was true, because the size of the projects was constantly increasing.

At present, fortunately for the environment, this will no longer happen again, both national and regional legislation (with exceptions) is defined, and although it is sometimes difficult to know exactly the environmental procedure of a photovoltaic solar plant, or which body is responsible for governing the evaluation process, the legislation is there, and we only have to know how to interpret and know it, for which the technicians of the administrations are there, and of course we have.

With regard to location, the current selection process must be governed by a previous environmental feasibility study and for rigorous studies that evaluate the condition comprehensively enough on any factor of the environment.

The types of fences were directly proportional to the number of files.

Before the fences were up to three meters high, with flowing concrete, with motion detection systems, with fences,... most without any permeability to fauna. The typology of fences was surprising and this was one of the reasons why administrations were able to submit to the procedure of environmental impact assessment to photovoltaic solar plants that were otherwise photovoltaic.

The fear of plate theft was such that photovoltaic solar plants were real insurmountable strengths for thieves (and for wildlife)

At present, fortunately for the environment, this will no longer happen, together we will take care of it, we must propose fences permeable to fauna, that avoid the barrier effect and that are integrated into the environment, not only landscaped, but also acquiring ecological functions. This will be possible if the fence is accompanied by vegetation borders specifically designed for each area of the photovoltaic solar plant and the Spanish territory, moving away from simple perimeter reforestation based on conifers, and controlling the species to be implanted from their use by the species of fauna present in the area to their genetic origin, so forgotten in the usual reforestation.

The treatment of the firm ones, the problem solved.

In those years of bonanza seemed like measures at no cost: meters and square meters of concrete, compacted ballast or repeated herbicide treatments, for what purpose? To prevent dust collection, reduce shadows or limit fire danger, that was the philosophy. All in exchange for completely reducing the habitat if we added a barren surface to the existing fences, not to mention the cost for operators who made solar installations unfeasible.

The naturalization of photovoltaic solar plants has been reduced, except in those cases in which the developer was aware or when in the calculations for compensation for the loss of rustic land, the interior of the photovoltaic solar plant counted.

For the future, soil treatment must be as minimal as possible, something that is advantageous for almost all parties; fauna, flora, developer and citizen who contemplates the facilities. Allowing and promoting natural and climatic species in the area of implantation can be an important reserve for lagomorphs and galliformes, for example, which are highly prized by natural predators of great interest and, of course, for hunting.

To the scarce intervention inside photovoltaic solar plants, we add other possibilities that we are already working on to naturalize these, and which will surely have a positive impact on the environmental assessment of the facilities, integrating them and improving them from a global point of view. An example of sustainability and sustainable maintenance of soil suitable for the installation is the use of livestock to maintain non-native vegetation, avoiding the use of herbicides.

Environmental monitoring, what for what?

La environmental monitoring of photovoltaic solar plants it was also carried out in an anarchic manner, depending on the autonomous community, and even the province, the environmental monitoring requirements were quite different. The requested factors to be controlled were disparate; the condition of the followers and the fences on the fauna (permeability control and operation of the measures in place), such as the lack of monitoring of evacuation lines or control of waste management, among others, not many others.

The daily experience made us control many other relevant factors that were emerging and that were not included in the Environmental Impact Statements or in the Environmental Impact Studies of the Photovoltaic Solar Plant and that will now form part of the Environmental Monitoring and Surveillance Plans for Photovoltaic Solar Plants.

I think the new photovoltaic solar plants they must be monitored and environmental monitoring on a mandatory basis, for how long? My opinion is that the period should be proportional to the results obtained in the annual environmental monitoring reports, not requiring monitoring for the entire period of operation of the facility, but not only for the usual five years.

As for the factors to be controlled, together with the usual ones, I add others that were less common in those years; study of changes in the habitat of the species, analysis of erosive episodes given the large areas collecting water and the reduction of the infiltration capacity, estimation of the landscape integration and the degree of social acceptance of the project, effective control of waste management and preparation of waste minimization studies, carbon footprint studies before and after construction, etc.

Compensatory measures, if necessary, that are useful.

Although compensatory measures were not widely required in primitive solar photovoltaic projects, they were generally aimed at compensating for habitat loss for the species present (creation or improvement of primaries, creation of majanos, reforestation with native species, etc.)

Compensatory measures were arbitrated very locally, which, although of interest, did not entail continuous subsequent follow-up due to lack of resources.

Since the profitability of new photovoltaic solar plants is closely related to the large area to be occupied, compensatory measures for a photovoltaic solar plant (if established because severe environmental impacts are observed) will be more common, but they must be considered from a global point of view, affecting the region where the plant is located. Following the philosophy of traditional environmental services at this zero starting point should not be an option, but rather the way forward.

The work of managing these compensatory measures must involve many sectors of society, not just the developer and administration (with environmental consultant as a hinge) but to municipalities, collectives, etc. to make these photovoltaic solar plants a model of holistic sustainable energy; reducing GHGs, preserving fauna, flora and soil, allowing the development of society and many other benefits for which we are already working.