Offshore solar energy requires clarity about its impact on nature
Deltares and Wageningen Marine Research are starting a multi-year study into the effects of floating solar farms on the North Sea ecosystem. The Offshore Solar Ecological Programme (ZoZEP), an initiative of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, will clarify the conditions under which offshore solar energy can be developed responsibly.
The results will provide policymakers and licensing authorities with scientific knowledge for future decisions on offshore solar energy. The North Sea is playing an increasingly important role in the Dutch energy transition. Alongside wind energy, offshore solar energy is also becoming a more prominent source of renewable electricity.
However, too little is still known about what large-scale floating solar farms mean for nature and the ecosystem. ZoZEP will help close this knowledge gap and clarify the conditions needed for the responsible development of offshore solar energy.
Research to inform policy choices on offshore solar energy
Steven Maier, senior policy adviser for offshore solar energy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy: "Floating solar farms, in combination with existing and future offshore wind farms, could make an important contribution to renewable energy production. At the same time, there are still many knowledge questions, including questions about the ecological effects of large-scale deployment in the North Sea. Through ZoZEP, we are building this knowledge so that future policy choices can be based on scientific insights."
What do floating solar farms mean for marine life?
Floating solar farms generate renewable electricity using solar panels mounted on floating structures. In combination with wind farms, they can make more efficient use of the limited space at sea. At the same time, they may affect the marine environment.
Less sunlight reaching the water surface can have consequences for marine plants and animals, while currents, water quality and ecological processes may also change. The structures also create a new habitat on which organisms can settle. Deltares and Wageningen Marine Research will also investigate potential effects on fish, seabirds and bats.
Scientific knowledge for responsible offshore solar energy
Martin Poot, bird researcher at Wageningen Marine Research: "Floating solar farms create an entirely new habitat at sea. We still know little about how species in the North Sea ecosystem will respond to this. Our aim is to provide independent scientific knowledge that helps policymakers and companies make well-considered choices about this new form of renewable energy."
4 research questions: from ecological effects to guidelines for policy and development
Within ZoZEP, the researchers will focus on 4 key questions:
- What effects do floating solar farms have on the North Sea ecosystem?
- What cumulative effects arise when solar farms are developed within offshore wind farms?
- At what scale do ecological effects become visible?
- How can scientific insights be translated into practical guidelines for policy and development?
Measurements, experiments and models to show effects
To answer the research questions, the researchers will combine experiments, advanced model calculations and, where possible, offshore measurements. They will study changes including light penetration, currents and water quality, and the consequences for the marine food web.
They will also examine the development of organisms on the floating structures and the behaviour and distribution of fish, birds and bats in and around solar farms. The researchers will work closely with policymakers, companies and other stakeholders, so that new knowledge can contribute directly to future decision-making.
Hydrodynamic and ecological expertise, measurements and models form the scientific basis
By bringing together expertise in marine ecology, offshore monitoring, hydrodynamics and ecosystem modelling, the researchers are laying a scientific foundation for the further development of offshore solar energy.
Erik Hendriks, ZoZEP coordinator at Deltares: "Offshore solar energy offers interesting opportunities for the renewable energy supply. At the same time, it is important that its development goes hand in hand with a sound understanding of the potential ecological consequences. With this research, we are bringing together knowledge from different disciplines to develop that scientific basis."
