Increasing environmental awareness and concern about global warming has accelerated the transition away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy sources. It is an environmentally-friendly renewable energy source. Even though its positive impacts can be outweighed by its negative effects, solar energy facilities can still negatively impact the environment. This includes local wildlife and water supplies.
Many utility-scale facilities use equipment from fossil fuel plant, which can cause dangerous fumes or pollutants to the air. Water is also used to cool turbine generators. Excessive use of water puts strain on the limited water supply in arid regions. Solar facilities can pollute groundwater and negatively impact the supply of water. If disposed of improperly, solar panels can also release heavy metals into the air and water. Solar farms can also affect wildlife by reducing land cover and impacting the biodiversity.
Apart from indirect environmental impacts, solar energy systems can also affect the land through manufacturing and extraction as well disposal. If built on a forested area, solar facilities can remove vegetation, decimating the number of trees. This is dangerous for endangered species and impacts wildlife.
Solar developers carry out impact assessments and implement mitigation measures to reduce adverse environmental impacts. In addition to evaluating site strategies and designs, regulators and host communities provide input to help ensure compliance with federal, state, as well as local laws. They also look for healthy ecosystems surrounding the sites.
SETO is a non profit organization that coordinates scientific studies on the interactions between wildlife, solar energy facilities, and other natural phenomena. SETO is a non-profit organization that funds projects. It also encourages sharing information among all stakeholders. These groups can include academics, solar companies, and environmental non profit organizations. SETO created a request of information (RFI), which collects responses from stakeholders about solar effects on wildlife and ecosystems. SETO's RFI summary lists responses from stakeholders in 2021.
SETO is also trying to design elements that allow for the recycling of PV module. This is a significant challenge, as the industry is largely unprepared to handle the problem. Insufficient recycling could result from insufficient awareness about the environmental impact of solar panels. In addition, limited recycling could mean limited resources in the future.
SETO is also working to improve the compatibility of solar development with agricultural landscapes. InSPIRE is an American research project that investigates the compatibility for solar development with agricultural land in the United States.
The AgriSolar Clearinghouse provides a public communication channel for agrivoltaics. It also serves as a relationship-building resource for industry and government stakeholders, including universities, the agriculture industry, and environmental non-profits.
The Avian-Solar Multi-Agency Collaborative Working Group is a group of scientists and other experts from academic institutions and solar companies who work to assess solar impacts on avian species. They are committed in improving science about solar energy's effect on avian populations. SETO also funds research into pollinator habitats.