Wildlife Movement Models Can Inform Large, Ground-Mounted Photovoltaic Solar Energy Siting and Design: A Case Study and Research Agenda

The capacity and footprint of large, ground-mounted photovoltaic solar facilities (GPVs) in the United States (U.S.) has grown rapidly in the early twenty-first century, introducing the potential for conflict with other place-based considerations such as biodiversity conservation. One critical gap in our understanding of the relationship between GPVs and biodiversity is how their infrastructure may affect animal movement. Here, we present a case study demonstrating the value of movement data for the simulation of animal responses to GPVs. We tracked a free-ranging bobcat through a landscape with GPVs, developed an integrated step selection function to quantify its response to solar facility infrastructure and other landscape factors, and used model results to create an agent-based model that simulates bobcat responses to different GPV siting and design scenarios. This bobcat was slightly less likely to select for locations closer to the GPV in her home range, and the facility fencing appeared to be a meaningful barrier to her movement. Our simulations indicated that (1) decreasing the barrier effect of GPV fencing could increase bobcat usage of the area within a GPV; (2) the presence of a corridor within a GPV likely facilitates bobcat movement around the facility; and (3) different GPV spatial arrangements can produce different patterns of habitat use. As GPV development in the U.S. expands and the GPV footprint burgeons nationwide, models such as these will be critical for meaningful consideration of biodiversity concerns in GPV siting and design.

Duke Scholars

Author Elizabeth Leigh Kalies Environmental Social Systems