Biological and ecological monitoring for PV plants and solar farms
Biological and ecological monitoring for PV plants: we check the effectiveness of your compensation measures precisely, independently and to current standards.
Authorities can require biological and ecological monitoring during the operation of a photovoltaic plant. For this we prepare monitoring concepts and check whether the compensation measures implemented in the solar farm are working. You receive an independent assessment based on current standards and documentation that can serve as evidence towards the authority. Our biology team covers all necessary specialist areas: amphibians, insects, reptiles, botany, birds and bats. Depending on the site and conditions, the monitoring covers individual groups or all of them; which groups are surveyed at what frequency is determined by the concept and the permit decision.
Monitoring is meaningful when it builds on a baseline survey. Only comparison with the condition before construction shows how biodiversity and habitats develop. For solar farms in Austria there is so far little standardised monitoring data, which makes traceable methods and clean documentation all the more important. Typical measures whose effect is checked are regional wildflower mixes, structural elements such as hedges, small water bodies, deadwood and sand areas, and nesting aids. Fencing with ground clearance for small mammals and wildlife corridors along long sides of the plant are also included. The effects of PV plants on habitats and species depend largely on the site, the area size and the design; fragmentation by fences and altered shading and soil conditions under the modules are issues that can only be clarified through observation.
Management of the site also influences the result. Technically recommended are mowing adapted to target species, site and permit conditions with removal of the cuttings, avoiding herbicides, fertilisers and chemical cleaning agents, and a narrow, regularly mown strip in front of the modules to prevent shading. The monitoring shows whether such management has the desired effect at the site and provides the basis to adjust it. We summarise the results in well-founded, meaningful reports with recommendations. Because we work from Vienna, Parndorf and Munderfing, our experts are quickly at your plant. The construction and permitting department coordinates closely with our biology team from the start. An ecological construction and management plan is recommended; the monitoring checks whether it works in practice.
The ecological foundations are laid in planning with the nature conservation specialist report and during construction with environmental construction supervision. In ongoing operation, the electrical inspection complements the ecological monitoring of the plant. Photovoltaic plants typically last around 30 years, so monitoring over the operating life can make developments visible. For wind farms we offer a separate monitoring for wind turbines. The start and duration of monitoring result from the permit decision and the concept, and the reports should be structured so that they can be submitted to the authority. Anyone who links the monitoring results with the management plans can adjust measures during operation instead of waiting until the end of the conditions period.
