Introduction 

Kerim: Hi, everyone. This is Kerim, Kerim Baran with SolarAcademy. We are here today, with my partner, Nico Johnson, hosting from Lightsource bp, Alyssa Edwards, who’s also a SEIA Board Member and Vice Chair for Federal Policy Committee, is the Senior VP of Environmental Affairs and Government Relations at Lightsource, and Virginia Brown is their Director of Ecosystems. 

Today, we are going to talk about what Responsible Solar looks like.

What is biodiversity in solar and why is it important?

So with that, let me pose the first question. Why is biodiversity important in solar development?

Virginia: Well, you know, just starting with biodiversity is very simply, how many living items, living things, living plants, animals are in a certain area? So that can be on a large scale or a very small scale like within the fence of a solar site, or within a giant ecosystem.

So when we look at biodiversity in solar development, we look at, where is this project in the landscape? What have been the prior land uses? And what used to be in this area that may be in decline now because of just humans inhabiting an area?   

We know that when we install solar, it’s going to be there for an extended period of time. It could be decades, easily, or more. That is the timeline where diversity can start increasing, and the environmental timeline is quite a long one. So building up the soil, building up plant community takes several years to get going, and when we go on a site, we know that we’re going to have perennial grass coverage on that site. We plant an intentional seed mix on that site, and it’s going to be allowed to grow and flourish there for many years. That’s where we start thinking about diversity in the soil, the plants. Then what comes after the plants are the insects, and then the birds and all the other small animals that could benefit from having this area be stable for a long period of time.

A lot of areas we develop in, are low in biodiversity, and it’s a great opportunity to introduce more species and grow the biodiversity which is really critical to our planet and our crops and the health of humans, even just food production.

Reconceptualizing energy generation with land stewardship, habitat preservation, and agrivoltaics 

Alyssa: You know, I think it’s so interesting how we can sort of reconceptualize energy generation facilities, right? So not just, obviously, we’re fighting climate change. We believe in the energy transition, and we’re a renewable energy company, but the fact that we can add on these additional environmental and social benefits, and look at the land that we’re using, I mean, because the name of the game is we’re land stewards. And if you have a large portfolio that you develop, own, and operate, you’re really large land stewards. 

And the fact that we can go in there and take another look and sort of re-imagine and re-conceptualize what utility-scale solar looks like, I mean, I think it’s just like this tremendous opportunity, and I think it’s something that our stakeholders, I mean, our stakeholders want this. Whether it’s regulators, whether it’s communities, and the environmental NGO, the conservation community, I mean, people are interested, what else can we do with utility-scale solar projects as being large-scale land stewards, and I don’t know if I would say the possibilities are endless, but there sure are a lot of possibilities. I mean, every site is bespoke and every site has a different ecological profile, and it’s up to us to take a look at that and see what the needs are and see what makes sense in communities and what’s important to different stakeholders. 

Dynamics of gaining a social license to operate utility-scale agrivoltaics in communities

Nico: You’ve used a couple of terms that stand out to me. I want to just pull a little bit the thread on the underlying rationale of leaning into a concept of land stewardship, even Responsible Solar, which I’m sure we’ll get into how you guys think about that.

Alyssa: Yeah.

Nico: The utility-scale solar, there are different dynamic set of problems that need to be solved, different stakeholders as you point out than there are in resi, but if you look at like resi and the national vernacular or sort of conversation that happens, it’s all around things that, whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican, you can identify with this idea of resiliency, this concept of owning your energy, so I kind of look at this concept of land stewardship, habitat preservation, even the resurgence of agrivoltaics, which I think fits into the bucket of what we’re talking about here, as an opportunity to gain social license to operate in these communities. 

Could you talk a bit about how you as a developer connect with the long-term nexus of your work in a community, and this concept of biodiversity?

Virginia: I think looking at the local community is a great start to how we want to tailor the future of the site in heavily agricultural areas. We’re looking more towards how this land can be used for combining both, maybe agricultural use onsite or the site has some fringe agricultural benefits. 

In other areas of the US, it might be a different flavor locally where it’s more about preservation and creating habitat and this and that. It’s very possible to do both. Usually, the landscape favors one or the other, and the communities that live there just kind of follow along with what is there naturally, so it’s just a natural progression of how the projects evolve and are planned for it.

Alyssa: And I would say, on the topic of agrivoltaics, of course, that’s the combination of solar energy and agriculture. It’s something that’s very emerging in the US, in the U.S. solar market, as I’m sure you know. 

At our team at Lightsource bp, we actually have a Director of Agrivoltaics. She’s the Founder of the American Solar Grazing Association, and she’s a solar farmer herself, Lexie Hain. Her job is really important when it comes to communities. Because in this concept of being land stewards, not all of our projects, but many of our projects are on agricultural lands, and we take a really hard look first like, what was the land use before the solar facility goes up? And then two, what can we continue, and how can we make a nexus in the community? Because we are in many agricultural and farming communities. 

And I have to say, over the last four years, it’s really been unbelievable to see how we’ve grown this program. We have actually over 2 GW right now of projects, operating projects contracted with farming families, and I’m so proud to say that. 

Forty years ago, I had no idea how complex this would really be, and we’ve worked really hard for this. Yeah, 2 GW of projects, and we have around 18 farming families and projects all around the country, where these families are bringing in sheep to graze. We find that sheep are incredibly efficient at maintaining the grass underneath and around the panels. 

For the audience, if you’ve not seen a utility-scale solar project before, the footprint itself is actually very, very small. The panels sit on steel posts. There are lots of lands available underneath and around the array and honestly, it’s perfect for grazing. 

What this does for communities and farming families is one, it’s a diversified revenue. And we have a whole bunch of stories of families, maybe, the younger generations aren’t interested in farming. This provides the revenue that has really helped keep farms and families for future generations. 

And also, grazing area can be really scarce so we’re providing an area, we’re providing a food source for sheep. Agrivoltaics, by the way, is really any type of agriculture, so we also do honeybee production and beekeeping, we do haying. That’s another form of agrivoltaics, and very soon, we’re going to crack food production under and around the array. 

As you can imagine, there’s a lot there with shading and access and things like that. But there’s a lot of really interesting research going right now and we’re like very tight into DOE and others who are looking at this and I think, at least from the Lightsource bp perspective, we’ve got this booming solar grazing program and honeybee but food is the next thing, for sure. 

I think it makes such a difference in the community where you look at the solar site and it’s like, “Oh my gosh. Wait. There are high-value pollinators and there’s sheep grazing. And they’re making honey and we’ve got farmers working there.” So sort of Nico, back to your concept of the social license, we’re really trying to integrate as much as possible, if that makes sense, into the areas where we work.    

Virginia: I’m usually touching all of our projects across the country at some point and even in the earlier phases, I really rely on some of the local experts for seed, for seeding, for farmers, the land owner, just to get input on that land, and it’s really nice to have locals there that we trust, and I trust their knowledge to do a lot of the upfront work on land management. It’s super helpful.

How to maximize biodiversity and manage topsoil on solar sites?

Kerim: Yeah, we were discussing that, that topic of topsoil quality, prior to the recording. So what other things can be done to improve the quality of the land for farming purposes and you are a technical expert on biodiversity. Is the more diversity the better? Like do you want as many different things growing and living? Is there a technical framework for that? Or how do you guys think about that?    

Virginia: Yeah, generally, any kind of diversity, more is better. Within these constraints of solar production, electricity production, there are some limitations on that just due to the panel needs sun. We can’t have really tall things growing up there and shading them. So those cut some of the opportunities down, but there’s still a lot you can do and one thing that’s hard to see from above ground is having that land in perennial grass coverage for a number of years really does benefit the soil tremendously. Tillage and active farming are needed, but they harm the soil. It’s something we have to do to grow, but having grass go back into that prairie state. That’s why the Midwest continues to be so productive for agriculture is because it was in tall grass prairie for hundreds and thousands of years, and that is what builds soil. So having the land go back and sort of rest in a way, really builds up the soil biology, the soil diversity, the carbon in the soil, all of that so when eventually, there isn’t solar there, the land really should be in great shape to re-farm again and be very productive. 

So looking at how we can improve that land, it’s looking at the species that are going to be well-suited to that region, the soil. Are there growing habits suitable for an energy plant? And then we have a lot of land outside that we have a little bit more flexibility on and that’s where we can really do a lot for diversity and prairie habitat, pollinator habitat, other agricultural use. Some of the land can stay in farming if it’s not within our plant, so we have a lot of flexibility outside the fence, and there are still great things we can do within the plant constraints. 

As far as soil and how we manage that onsite, there are a lot of best practices. One is, first and foremost, how can we minimize their impact to begin with, with the design? That’s something that every developer is looking at because the more you have to do, the more expensive it is. So if we can use technology and the different solar panel systems, and we have to manipulate the land less, that’s great for everyone. 

Then managing the soil in a way that reduces erosion and promotes grass growth is also a cost saver because you’re getting the land established and it’s stable. You need that for, not only permit requirements, but the site needs to be structurally sound, as designed, as well. So there are a lot of components coming in, but again, it’s a little less complicated when you’re really familiar with land management principles, not even in solar, just across the board, it makes a lot of sense. 

How should developers think about the cost-benefit analysis of developing solar with biodiversity?              

Kerim: Now with that, I want to dive a little bit into Lightsource’s specific Responsible Solar approach and maybe use this opportunity to teach other developers what that looks like, but the question that’s been in my mind before, and we shared it a little bit with all of us here, prepping for the call. How much extra cost upfront does this create for a developer? 

I know Lightsource, being one of the larger developers in the world, is this something that only you guys can afford this? Or can any developer afford this? Or should they? What does the investment and then the return cost-benefit analysis look like? How do you guys think about Responsible Solar when you’re thinking about all these?  

Virginia: So from planning construction from a land management standpoint, the best way to do it from a biodiversity and sustainability standpoint is to do a lot of the work upfront, where construction really begins, and that just so happens to be a lot more cost-effective, so particularly through going into an area, building in an area that is agriculture and doesn’t have anything growing there, it’s just a farm field, planting your grasses and your vegetation before construction even begins, is really helpful from a biodiversity standpoint because you’re much more efficient and the ground is fresh. 

You can do a great seed mix for a low cost, and then once you go into construction, you’re building on established grass. You don’t have the issues with workability and potentially mud, and things like that. It’s already ready to go. A lot of our native grasses take several years to establish, so as early as you can, these grasses are growing throughout construction.

Conversely, if you wait to do a lot of these measures, planting grass after construction, the rows between the panels are very narrow and you’re having to back in, it’s extremely slow. A couple of acres a day versus potentially 50 acres a day with a tractor is a lot more expensive. 

So we find it’s three to four times cheaper to do a lot of the upfront vegetation work, which is a huge – that about is the base for a lot of our biodiversity initiatives is planting in the ground what you need for your future goals. It’s much cheaper to do it upfront. It’s actually a huge cost-saver. Our projects finish earlier, and there are fewer delays, so it’s a little bit unrealized, until you get to the end, and you haven’t done these things, that’s when you see how expensive it is. 

So coming in with knowledge from other industries, I’ve worked in construction and land management, it makes the most sense, both financially and just land-management-wise. 

Benefits of topsoil management, preseeding, sheep grazing, and habitat curation in solar development    

Nico: I don’t know if I have a question or more of an observation, and that is, to Kerim’s point, as a developer, I may be listening to this thinking, “That’s all well and good for them. We’re a smaller shop. We don’t really even, we can’t commit resources to our projects until we get to NTP. How could we ever think about seeding a site that in some way is a bit of a gamble for us? Like we’re still working on interconnection on that site.” On the whole, it speaks to why a developer like Lightsource is successful and has the backing that it does because you’ve been successful at developing projects that don’t fall halfway through, and you can commit earlier in the development cycle.  

But I wonder what you’d say to those developers who have this question at the back of their minds, like how could I possibly start seeding a site that I’m not even sure is going to make it to the interconnection queue? 

Alyssa: So I’ve had this conversation with a lot of my peers in the industry. I’ve been in renewables for almost 20 years, and my environmental peers, we talk about this all the time, and I’ll admit I was skeptical as well. We started putting out our goals as Lightsource bp. Because Responsible Solar is the fundamental aspect of our sustainability goals at Lightsource, right? People, the environment, and the energy. And of course, today we’re talking about people and the environment. 

What I learned is a few things. One, really good planning and really good scheduling can solve a whole lot of problems. So what Virginia was describing is this technique called pre-seeding. So you’re seeding areas before construction. In almost all cases, we have an EPC so our construction company is lined up. We know we’re going to build this project, or very close to that. And guess what? We use local landowners and people in the community often, more often than not, to actually do the pre-seeding for us, another way that we connect with communities.

In the end, I mean, it saves money. Our construction team loves pre-seeding because it means they need less erosion sedimentation controls during the construction process. It’s cheaper.

Well, you have to find that out. You sort of realize it as you go through the process, and you say, “Wait a second. Wow. We pre-seeded that project and it was really worth it.” Now, we do it all the time. 

Another point on agrivoltaics, with using sheep grazing now, we don’t just open the gates and the sheep come in. It doesn’t work that way. We have to have managed grazing plans. We have to have fencing up, we have to have our equipment and conditions for risk to the sheep. I mean, there’s a lot going on when putting together a grazing plan, but there’s a reason why we have 2 GW in a grazing model. I mean, it works for the community. It works for biodiversity, and it is just more efficient than mowing and efficiency is cost savings. 

In this whole journey, I would say, over the past three or four years, we’ve realized that adding biodiversity value also really lines up with project economics and makes our jobs so much easier. 

We have other examples of this, particularly with respect to, for all of our projects we do a large-scale vegetation installation underneath and around the arrays for habitat that is wildlife- and pollinator-friendly. 

What I’ve learned from Virginia and because we actually worked together before she was at Lightsource, when she worked for a construction company and we were building projects together, and if you curate seed mixes, with the right species, you can have all this amazing benefit, low-growing grasses and something that’s cost-competive. So we’ve just kind of learned all this through the years, and it’s been remarkable, the impact on the projects.

Further know-how on biodiversity, agrivoltaics, and the economics of Responsible Solar

Nico: I have to say having looked at hundreds of project models that did not include this kind of investment, I’m incredibly impressed, increasingly impressed with what I see when we pull back the veil, Lightsource as an example of what it looks like to develop a comprehensive program hiring someone like Virginia, a soil specialist, and thinking at an ecosystem level.

And selfishly, I’d love to know, if there are, where the experiments are happening because this seems like an almost foregone conclusion now like pre-seeding and the seed mix are important and people are thinking about and looking into that and you guys are investing heavily and I’d say doing a lot of the heavy-lifting for others to be able to benefit from, what other –

Kerim: I say, we identify the new learning paths for SolarAcademy.

Nico: I think so. Yeah. Where else do you see opportunity in the biodiversity, agrivoltaics, or Responsible Solar umbrella?

Alyssa: Yeah. Well, first just to address your question about learning, there’s a decent amount of research going on in this space. For example, Department of Energy, Argonne Labs, University of Illinois, Chicago, they’re actually just finishing up a pretty extensive multi-year research project that involved us and several of our competitors, big solar companies, wind and solar companies testing out different seed mixes underneath and around the panels and to see how they grow and also putting a really strong emphasis on the economics, of buying seed mixes and installation and things like that. 

We’re not the only ones that are interested in this, certainly. How you get it to scale though, I think, is the question. It takes a little risk. Like the first time we talked about pre-seeding or the first time we said, “Hey, we’re going to do a wetland restoration on the side.” Or, “You know what? We’re going to put nesting platforms.” I mean, there are so many opportunities to add on habitat value. Like if you look at a pro forma, it’s this – I mean, it’s a blip.

Nico: Interesting. 

Alyssa: So you can do these small incremental beneficial activities and look, sometimes, it can be really expensive and sometimes it’s not. You have to figure out what your project needs, where it fits in the economics, and then you can scale certain things like topsoil management and pre-seeding and large-scale installation underneath and around the arrays. I mean, that’s sort of like a given and that’s right now. 

Nico: I’ll look forward to permaculture and natural barriers, instead of fences, one day. 

Virginia: Any initiative relating to environment and vegetation takes several years in the growing seasons to get going. So it’s time to make your case and then prove it, and so it’s a long term, but I’m able to pull from other past years, past projects, past industries and show examples, showing the economic benefit is really helpful.

And we are working on these living fences. It is something we’re working on a little bit, not the full fence, but a lot of our landscaping screening making that into a habitat hedge, an easy thing to do. 

Kerim: Well, Virginia and Alyssa, thank you both very much for sharing your depth of knowledge in this trail-blazing work that you do in combining ecosystem management and energy, really, where we can make industrialization and civilization scale alongside nature. I think that’s really a meaningful work, and we look forward to coming back and maybe diving deeper and giving more examples of the collaboration you’re doing with academic circles and your own testing and development and benefit to greater solar development community. 

Alyssa: I appreciate it. It was a fun, fun discussion.

Kerim: Thank you.

Nico: Thank you, all.