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Solar Energy Development

and the Biosphere

Michelle Murphy-Mariscal*, Steven M. Grodsky** ,
,†
Rebecca R. Hernandez** ,†
*MT. SAN JACINTO COLLEGE, MENIFEE, CA, UNITED STATES; **UNIVERSITY OF
†
CALIFORNIA, DAVIS, CA, UNITED STATES; WILD ENERGY INITIATIVE, JOHN MUIR
INSTITUTE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, DAVIS, CA, UNITED STATES
rrhernandez@ucdavis.edu

20.1 Introduction

As of April 2017, atmospheric concentration of CO 2 has reached an unprecedented mark
of 410 parts per million. Despite support for renewable energy development as a means to
combat greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change impacts and reduce reliance
on finite energy resources, rapid renewable energy deployment is complicated by envi-
ronmental trade-offs. Potential environmental impacts of renewable energy development
include, but are not limited to, habitat fragmentation, degradation or disruption of valu-
able ecosystem services, biodiversity loss, and increasing land scarcity [1,2]. These ecologi-
cal impacts may be overlooked as minor when compared to those of global climate change,
which threatens biodiversity on a global scale; however, cumulative disturbances associ-
ated with renewable energy development are complex, difficult to mitigate, and poorly
understood [3].
The development of solar energy is unique in that adverse environmental impacts and
associated costs can be avoided with appropriate siting and decision-making. Increased
awareness of these potential tradeoffs is the first step towards achieving greater sustain-
ability in solar energy design and enterprise. Here, we discuss: (1) potential impacts from
construction, operation, and decommissioning of solar energy facilities, focusing particu-
larly on ground-mounted, utility-scale solar energy (USSE, > 1 MW DC ) USSE installations;
(2) potential environmental effects over the lifetime of solar energy installations; and (3)
potential ecological responses of wildlife and other biosphere attributes with options for
mitigating or reducing those impacts.

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