A new study has found that birds are being affected by solar panels in unexpected ways.
For the most part, the expansion of the solar panels subsector has benefited mankind and the world as a whole. However, a recent study has found that solar panels are being mistaken for lakes by some bird species, creating yet another issue for the energy industry to fix.
How have solar panels disrupted migration patterns for birds?
How birds can navigate the world through nothing more than instinct
Migration patterns of birds are more than just an internal GPS system.
Many birds possess what is essentially a “magnetic compass” in their eyes. A specific protein in some birds’ eyes reacts to blue light, which creates a chemical reaction that is sensitive to magnetic fields.
This enables the birds in question to “see” the Earth’s magnetic field as a visual overlay.
Other species of birds have tiny crystals of magnetite, a magnetic mineral, that acts like a GPS in their beaks. Most bird species have an innate map in their genetics that plots a migration path for them, even without any other birds leading the way.
The adoption of the clean energy sector has not been without its problems
We have come to understand that not all that glitters is gold.
The shining light of the green energy transition has recently been overshadowed by the new impact that the sector has had on our planet. Our collective progression as a society has resulted in the climate crisis we currently face.
But we are not the only ones being affected by the renewable energy revolution.
Most of the impact of the clean energy transition has been positive, such as the recent discovery that solar panel farms are unexpectedly creating near-perfect conditions for plant life to thrive around them.
But what effect are solar panel farms having on animal life around the world?
New types of solar panels are emerging as nations aim to wave a not-so-fond farewell to the oil industry. Such as a new type of solar cell that can be applied to curved surfaces.
The solar panel subsector now dominates the global renewable energy market.
However, a team from Murdoch University has detailed the latest issue emerging from solar panel farms that are wreaking havoc on some bird species around the world.
The impact of our need for more energy has become as clear as day
With the climate crisis becoming an international issue that affects millions, more and more nations are turning to the potential of the renewable energy sector.
The United Kingdom recently saw record energy generation thanks to its adoption of the wind power sector. But even that subsector has experienced a wide range of issues in recent years.
But the overwhelming and undisputed king of the clean energy transition is, without a doubt, solar power.
We have come to understand how weather affects solar panels, but what unexpected effects are solar panel farms having on the animals that we share our only home in the universe with?
Solar farms are wreaking havoc on birds around the world
Researchers from Murdoch University have found that birds are mistaking huge solar panel arrays for lakes.
Murdoch University’s Professor Trish Fleming led a study that found these solar panels are attracting aquatic insects, forcing the birds that feed on them to land on solar panels that they confuse with bodies of water.
This confusion of migrating birds led Prof. Fleming to extrapolate that a potential 17.3 million annual avian fatalities would occur if the industry grows without mitigation.
The study has suggested several measures that could address this issue, like anti-reflective nano-coatings and wildlife-friendly fencing around solar panel farms, but no concrete solution has been found as of yet.