Solar energy is developing faster than ever across Europe, but growing attention is being paid not only to the volume of electricity generated, but also to how solar parks affect nature, landscape and long-term territorial development. These very questions were the focus of the international BiodIvErSe project's partner meeting on 1–2 July in Latvia, where the Vidzeme Planning Region, together with partners from Germany, Austria, Poland, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Ukraine, analysed the latest research and practical experience that will help shape regional development policy in the future.

 

As part of the project, the Vidzeme Planning Region is drawing up proposals to improve the Vidzeme development programme so that biodiversity is systematically taken into account in the development of solar energy.

 

Each partner region in the project is focusing on a different solution. In Germany, attention is centred on integrating solar panels into agriculture and former coal-mining areas; in Austria, on floating solar power plants; in Poland, on the reuse of post-industrial land; in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on integrating solar energy into industrial heat-recovery systems; and in Greece, on the restoration of former lignite mining sites. The Vidzeme Planning Region, for its part, is focusing mainly on integrating solar panels into restored bogs and degraded peat extraction areas, while also researching the potential for using solar panels in growing berry bushes and other horticultural crops. This exchange of experience allows partner regions to compare different approaches, weigh up their advantages and challenges, and apply the lessons learned to improving their own development policy.

 

Making sustainable decisions on solar energy development also requires an understanding of changes in the power system. Representatives of AS Latvenergo explained to those present that solar generation capacity in the Baltics has grown faster than initially forecast. As a result, the next challenge is no longer simply building ever more solar parks, but rather the ability to store the electricity generated and use it when it is needed most. Hydroelectric power stations play a key role in balancing the power system, as they can flexibly adjust electricity output to compensate for periods when solar generation drops.

 

Representatives of Latvenergo stressed that a modern solar park should not be judged solely on the electricity it generates. Growing attention is also being paid to its management and its impact on the environment. At one of Latvenergo's solar parks, sheep are used to maintain the grassland, which reduces site maintenance costs and helps preserve the biodiversity characteristic of natural grasslands.

 

Partners also visited the Elektrum Energy Centre, where the principles of the energy transition and the role of renewable energy sources are explained in an interactive way. It was emphasised that sustainable energy development is not possible without public understanding and engagement.

 

The international delegation also learned about the experience of SIA Jūrmalas ūdens, where solar energy is used to power water infrastructure operations. At the site of the Sloka wastewater treatment plant, a floating solar power station has been installed on the post-treatment water basins, and the electricity it generates is used entirely for the company's own consumption. This solution simultaneously cuts electricity costs, makes efficient use of existing infrastructure and reduces overgrowth in the water basins, demonstrating how renewable energy solutions can be integrated into the operation of critical infrastructure.

 

During the visit, researchers from the Institute of Horticulture presented their research into hortivoltaics – combining horticulture with solar power – using solar panel structures that mimic the shading cast by solar panels. This makes it possible to assess the potential impact on the growth, yield, berry quality and microclimate of highbush blueberries even before any solar panels are installed. The researchers stressed that the aim of the research is not to prove that solar panels are suitable in any conditions, but to determine in which situations shading improves growing conditions and in which it may reduce yield or quality.

 

Elīna Blūma, a representative of the Nature Conservation Agency, stressed that solar energy development and biodiversity conservation are not at odds. Site selection and management are decisive. That is why, even at the planning stage, it is necessary to assess a site's natural values, hydrological regime and potential impact on ecosystems, and to ensure regular monitoring once a project has been implemented.

 

Arta Kauķe, an expert from the company Ecosoul, explained that a solar park should not be seen merely as a site for generating electricity. With thoughtful planning and management, it can also support biodiversity, serve agriculture, beekeeping and grazing, and provide opportunities for research and public education.

 

The Nature Conservation Agency representative's point about the need to assess each site's natural values was echoed by Monika Hohlbein, a researcher from the University of Greifswald. She stressed that installing solar panels cannot be an end in itself – before any decision on siting solar panels, a bog's potential for ecological restoration must first be assessed. To support such decisions, researchers compare different development scenarios for a site (with and without solar panels), analysing greenhouse gas emissions, water levels, soil moisture and biodiversity. The researcher noted that there are still few long-term studies of this kind in Europe, so only systematic measurements can determine which solutions bring the greatest benefit to climate and nature in a given area.

 

Such an approach was also demonstrated in practice by Latvian examples visited in person by the project partners. At the Kaigu bog, the company Laflora presented its long-term vision for the development of degraded peat extraction areas, stressing that reclamation is not the end of a project, but the start of a new phase of site development. The company is developing a multifunctional model in which a single site is intended to combine renewable energy generation, research, berry-bush cultivation, and in future also greenhouses and other sustainable business activities. Decisions are based on long-term research – a CO₂ flux monitoring tower installed at the Drabiņi bog continuously measures greenhouse gas emissions, while the company tests various reclamation methods to determine which solution delivers the greatest benefit to climate, nature and business in a given area.

 

At the Medema bog, meanwhile, the company Rīgas meži demonstrated that there is likewise no single universal solution for restoring degraded peat extraction areas. After the hydrological regime is restored and the site studied in detail, an assessment is made of which parts of the area could accommodate solar panels and where the priority is full restoration of the bog ecosystem.

 

At the Medema bog, the international delegation went on an educational walk in bog shoes, led by expert Ilze Ozola of the Lake and Bog Research Centre, observing how a former peat extraction site has naturally regenerated.

 

Summing up what was discussed during the visit, it can be concluded that sustainable solar energy development cannot rely on a single solution. Decisions must be based on scientifically grounded research, long-term monitoring and an individual assessment of each site.