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Environment

Insects thrive on solar farms planted with native flowers

Two solar farms in Minnesota saw big increases in bees and other insects after a variety of native grasses and wildlfowers were planted among the panels

By Gary Hartley

7 December 2023

Flowers planted among solar panels can attract bees and other insects
McKinneMike/Getty Images

Sowing grasses and wildflowers among solar panels can bring big increases in bees and aid crop pollination in nearby fields, a four-year study in the US suggests.

The expansion of solar energy is sometimes seen as a threat to the environment because of the large amounts of land required, but solar developments can be designed to restore habitat and bring biodiversity gains.

Read more

Can massive solar power expansion regenerate the US’s iconic prairies?

Leroy Walston at Argonne…

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