Strategically integrated renewable energy and environment systems (SIRE)
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Lancaster Environment Centre
Abstract
For most societies, energy underpins all aspects of life and many people consider access to abundant and uninterrupted energy a basic need and right. Energy is currently responsible for ~75% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and thus contributes significantly to climate change. Therefore, in order to avoid dangerous climate change it is critical that we change our energy supplies to those that release substantially less greenhouse gas.
Land-based wind and solar energy offers great potential for the UK, given their maturity compared with wave and tidal; increasing cost competitiveness evidenced by continued deployment despite subsidy cuts; rapidity of deployment compared with nuclear (e.g. 2008-25 Hinkley-C implementation) and shale gas; considerable potential across the UK compared to limited remaining hydro energy resources; established UK-based industrial and financial expertise; and game-changing developments in the battery market. However, wind and solar takes up a greater land area than traditional power stations with both beneficial and detrimental effects on the hosting landscape. Therefore, deciding the design, management and location of wind and solar across the UK is pivotal; poor decisions could swap the global-scale climate change impacts of energy for localised environmental damage.
Environmental science has a critical role to play in determining the design, management and location of land-based wind and solar energy. Environmental processes directly control energy generation through resource potential (e.g. solar radiation and wind), and influencing factors (e.g. dust deposition on solar panels and turbulence caused by forestry). Conversely, renewables also affect the functioning of the environment, for example by changing local climates and ecology and altering the provision of space for nature and the delivery of ecosystem services.
Consequently, environmental science is well placed to deliver a means of informing astute decisions. For example, is land take of pasture land in Yorkshire preferable to land take of low grade agricultural land in Wiltshire? In areas where both are viable, is solar or wind preferable? Moreover, at the site scale, can management actions and energy infrastructure be designed to deliver co-benefits (e.g. habitats) and reduce detrimental impacts (e.g. unnecessary disturbance)? Further, given the economic basis of energy decision-making, it is not only necessary to provide evidenced-based guidance, but also to provide a means of quantifying the effect of different decisions. Moreover, this will also support future business cases for wind and solar energy developments.
Consequently, the aim of this project is to provide a robust evidence base to inform the strategic deployment of wind and solar energy across the UK, delivering energy, environment and socio-economic benefits. This will be achieved through three objectives:
1. Development of a multifactorial framework to assess the energy, environment and socio-economic effects of land-based wind and solar energy;
2. Simulated assessment and quantification of the energy, environment and socio-economic effects of wind and solar energy across the UK;
3. Engaging with stakeholders to enable embedding of innovative tools into UK energy decision-making from local to national scales.
The research and innovation will be co-developed with stakeholders and the outcomes will bring an innovative and novel means of evidence-based decision for land use change for renewable energy that delivers and quantifies energy, environment and socio-economic benefits.
Land-based wind and solar energy offers great potential for the UK, given their maturity compared with wave and tidal; increasing cost competitiveness evidenced by continued deployment despite subsidy cuts; rapidity of deployment compared with nuclear (e.g. 2008-25 Hinkley-C implementation) and shale gas; considerable potential across the UK compared to limited remaining hydro energy resources; established UK-based industrial and financial expertise; and game-changing developments in the battery market. However, wind and solar takes up a greater land area than traditional power stations with both beneficial and detrimental effects on the hosting landscape. Therefore, deciding the design, management and location of wind and solar across the UK is pivotal; poor decisions could swap the global-scale climate change impacts of energy for localised environmental damage.
Environmental science has a critical role to play in determining the design, management and location of land-based wind and solar energy. Environmental processes directly control energy generation through resource potential (e.g. solar radiation and wind), and influencing factors (e.g. dust deposition on solar panels and turbulence caused by forestry). Conversely, renewables also affect the functioning of the environment, for example by changing local climates and ecology and altering the provision of space for nature and the delivery of ecosystem services.
Consequently, environmental science is well placed to deliver a means of informing astute decisions. For example, is land take of pasture land in Yorkshire preferable to land take of low grade agricultural land in Wiltshire? In areas where both are viable, is solar or wind preferable? Moreover, at the site scale, can management actions and energy infrastructure be designed to deliver co-benefits (e.g. habitats) and reduce detrimental impacts (e.g. unnecessary disturbance)? Further, given the economic basis of energy decision-making, it is not only necessary to provide evidenced-based guidance, but also to provide a means of quantifying the effect of different decisions. Moreover, this will also support future business cases for wind and solar energy developments.
Consequently, the aim of this project is to provide a robust evidence base to inform the strategic deployment of wind and solar energy across the UK, delivering energy, environment and socio-economic benefits. This will be achieved through three objectives:
1. Development of a multifactorial framework to assess the energy, environment and socio-economic effects of land-based wind and solar energy;
2. Simulated assessment and quantification of the energy, environment and socio-economic effects of wind and solar energy across the UK;
3. Engaging with stakeholders to enable embedding of innovative tools into UK energy decision-making from local to national scales.
The research and innovation will be co-developed with stakeholders and the outcomes will bring an innovative and novel means of evidence-based decision for land use change for renewable energy that delivers and quantifies energy, environment and socio-economic benefits.
People |
ORCID iD |
Alona Armstrong (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Hooper T
(2021)
Environmental impacts and benefits of marine floating solar
in Solar Energy
Exley G
(2021)
Floating photovoltaics could mitigate climate change impacts on water body temperature and stratification
in Solar Energy
Exley G
(2022)
Floating solar panels on reservoirs impact phytoplankton populations: A modelling experiment.
in Journal of environmental management
Karimirad M
(2021)
Floating solar: Beyond the state of the art technology
in Solar Energy
Guoqing L
(2021)
Ground-mounted photovoltaic solar parks promote land surface cool islands in arid ecosystems
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Transition
Armstrong A
(2021)
Honeybee pollination benefits could inform solar park business cases, planning decisions and environmental sustainability targets
in Biological Conservation
Qin Y
(2022)
Impacts of 319 wind farms on surface temperature and vegetation in the United States
in Environmental Research Letters
Armstrong A
(2020)
Integrating environmental understanding into freshwater floatovoltaic deployment using an effects hierarchy and decision trees
in Environmental Research Letters
Blaydes H
(2021)
Opportunities to enhance pollinator biodiversity in solar parks
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Exley G
(2021)
Scientific and stakeholder evidence-based assessment: Ecosystem response to floating solar photovoltaics and implications for sustainability
in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
Title | Floating solar - potential water body impacts |
Description | Animation outlining the need for research into water body impacts of floating solar |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2018 |
Impact | Increased awareness of our work. Helped to secure income from industry. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twyJMuFXfhw |
Title | Sustainable energy transition |
Description | 7 min professionally made film on energy -ecosystems. Features: Chris Stark, CEO, Climate Change Committee Prof Kathy Willis, Prof at University of Oxford and Natural Capital Committee Chris Hewlett, Chief Exec, Solar Energy UK |
Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Impact | To early to quantify impacts. |
URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtUJJ7yRMOo&feature=youtu.be |
Description | Defra land use panel |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
Description | Invited speaker at 'Taking Action Together on the Climate & Ecological Emergency' conference 2020 |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
URL | https://climateemergencydeclaration.org/uk-conference-the-climate-ecological-emergency-taking-action... |
Description | Presentation to House of Lords Land Use group |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Research featured in ICUN Mitigating biodiversity impacts associated with solar and wind energy development report |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
URL | https://portals.iucn.org/library/node/49283 |
Description | The low carbon energy transition: bright times ahead for ecosystems? Science in Parliament (Autumn, 2020) |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
URL | https://www.scienceinparliament.org.uk/publications/science-in-parliament/ |
Description | citation in SolarPower Europe O&M Best Practice Guidelines |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
URL | https://www.solarpowereurope.org/om-best-practice-guidelines-version-4-0/ |
Description | o Research featured in European Commission 'Potential impacts of solar, geothermal and ocean energy on habitats and species protected under the habitats and birds directives' report |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
URL | https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/edf7213a-02c9-11eb-8919-01aa75ed71a1/langua... |
Description | o Research featured in the Scottish Executive analysis of the National Planning Framework response |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
URL | https://www.gov.scot/publications/npf4-analysis-reponses-call-ideas/ |
Description | Energy Revolution Research Consortium - Core - EnergyREV |
Amount | £7,966,339 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/S031863/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2018 |
End | 03/2023 |
Description | Energy-Environment-Society Interactions Royal Society Scientific Science+ Meetings 2020-21 |
Amount | £10,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2021 |
End | 01/2021 |
Description | Floatovoltaic impacts on water supply reservoirs. |
Amount | £16,600 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2020 |
End | 12/2020 |
Description | International Exchanges 2019 Round 3: Supporting sustainable energy generation and water quality management in reservoirs through ecosystem modelling |
Amount | £2,750 (GBP) |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2020 |
End | 07/2020 |
Description | Knowledge Transfer Partnership |
Amount | £148,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Clarkson and Woods |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 12/2021 |
End | 05/2023 |
Description | Solar Photovoltaics Impacts on Reservoirs: Thames |
Amount | £8,333 (GBP) |
Organisation | Thames Water Utilities Limited |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 03/2021 |
Description | Solar park carbon calculator |
Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
Department | Research England |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2020 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | Solar park impacts on reservoirs: Southern Water |
Amount | £8,333 (GBP) |
Organisation | Southern Water |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | Solar photovoltaic impacts on reservoirs: Affinity Water |
Amount | £8,333 (GBP) |
Organisation | Affinity Water |
Sector | Private |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 03/2021 |
Description | Solar photovoltaic impacts on reservoirs: EPSRC IAA |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2019 |
End | 03/2020 |
Description | UK Energy Research Centre Phase 4 |
Amount | £18,000,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/S029575/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 05/2019 |
End | 04/2024 |
Description | Solar park vegetation |
Organisation | Clarkson and Woods |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | We are analysing data given to us by the partners and writing up a journal article |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners gave us use of vegetation survey data from across 80 solar parks within the UK |
Impact | The paper is still in progress |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Solar park vegetation |
Organisation | Wychwood Biodiversity |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | We are analysing data given to us by the partners and writing up a journal article |
Collaborator Contribution | The partners gave us use of vegetation survey data from across 80 solar parks within the UK |
Impact | The paper is still in progress |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Article for The Conversation |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | I wrote a piece for The Conversation to encourage interest and heighten awareness of the impacts of renewable energy on the hosting environment. Its been read over 100,000 times since sept 2018, making it the 37th most read article written by a Lancaster Uni employee, and the 3rd most read of those written in the last 6 months by LU staff. It generated over 40 comments. It was picked up 13 published, including the World Economic Forum and Newsweek. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | https://theconversation.com/massive-solar-and-wind-farms-could-bring-vegetation-back-to-the-sahara-1... |
Description | Business Green article |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Article for Business Green to highlight the need for greater inclusion for environment in the energy transition |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.businessgreen.com/opinion/3076609/the-energy-transition-must-have-environmental-enhancem... |
Description | Industry event talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Talk at National Solar Centre conference. Undertaken to increase awareness of the SPIES DST and SIRE fellowship research. Potential research connection with a company re short-term solar PV monitoring but uncertain as yet. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Industry event talk |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | A solar Trade Association organised event on solar park land management. I gave a talk on SPIES and fellowship research with the aim of stimulating interest,making future research collaborations, and encouraging uptake of the SPIES DST. This has led to involvement in an STA led Solar Park and Natural Capital Guidance document. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
Description | Industry event talk & panel member |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | I gave a talk and was on a panel at the Energy Now Expo - an event focusing on renewable energy and farming. The purpose was to raise awareness of the SPIES DST and make any potential collaborations for my fellowship research. No known outcomes as yet. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://www.energyandruralbusiness.co.uk/ |
Description | Industry talk (EPRI) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | About 80 USA based energy industry employees attended the EPRI event. There was much interest in the SPIES tool, Floatovoltaics and techno-ecological synergies and we have had discussions since but as yet no collaboration |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | International Floating Solar Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | About 80 floating solar professionals were in the talk, many questions and discussions after, including from the Singapore floating solar centre (world leaders) which lead to an invite to present at their conference but I was unable to attend |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | https://www.floatingsolarconference.com/ |
Description | STA Large Scale Solar Working Group |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Presented the UKERC and solar park carbon calculator research and innovation to an audience who were already aware of NERC SPIES. Much discussion, including around how to integrate it in industry practice. Offers of site access and the opportunity to partake in ESG discussions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |