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Solar energy will save bees from extinction

08.10.2018

Solar panels have proven to be even more beneficial to the environment than previously thought. According to the conclusions of American scientists, the lands around them can become a reserve for pollinating insects, the number of which has been seriously reduced in recent years. This, in turn, will lead to higher yields and higher incomes for farmers.

Insects pollinate up to 75% of all crops consumed by humans. However, the use of pesticides and land conversion has significantly reduced the populations of butterflies and wild bees. Help for endangered pollinators may come from an unexpected direction - from solar energy.

A group of scientists from the Argonne National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy studied 2800 existing and planned solar installations and came to the conclusion that the area around them can become a kind of insect sanctuary. The fact is that the land near solar installations is not used in agriculture, which means that flowers and herbs necessary for pollinators can freely grow here.

According to scientists, farmers will be able to get a double benefit from solar installations. In addition to generating clean energy, the batteries will become a nursery for butterflies and bees that pollinate neighboring fields. As a result, crop yields will increase.

Calculations show that around 3 square kilometers of farmland lie around the studied solar facilities, which could benefit from increased pollinators.

The researchers calculated that by making the environment around solar installations favorable for insects, a significant increase in profits can be achieved. For example, yield increases in soybeans, almonds, and cranberries—all three crops dependent on pollinators—would generate an additional $1,75 million, $4 million, and $233, respectively.

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