Multifunctional land use
Better Energy works with several multifunctional land use initiatives in many of our solar parks.
Protecting groundwater
There is a need across Europe to protect groundwater sources, which are pressured by the nutrient run-offs from conventional agriculture. Managing solar parks by organic principles can help protecting groundwater sources if are placed above or in proximity to special water interests.
Sheep grazing
Sheep farming was introduced as a way to keep the grass short in the parks. The sheep get shelter from the solar panels and fresh grass, and the farmers get open spaces for their animals. However, too many sheep can be a challenge for biodiversity because they prefer to eat flowers before grass. Fewer flowers result in fewer insects and birds, so we monitor the number of sheep in the parks and develop more biodiversity-friendly grazing schemes.
Large Animal Grazing
Grazing by large animals is an essential part of most natural landscapes and nature types. It contributes to diverse habitats. Grazers, such as cows and horses, selectively consume plants. This influences the structure and diversity, creating a mosaic of different heights, species, and patches of plants, providing habitat niches for a wide range of plant and animal species. The presence of grazers also provides other important microhabitats, such as excrement and carcasses. This is a nature management approach that creates great biodiversity results but requires a lot of space. Therefore, Better Energy only implements it in a few selected parks.