We’re leading the development of four tools that support decision-making on the use of pollinator-friendly vegetation at large solar sites

The Pollinator Habitat Aligned with Solar Energy (PHASE) Project

Renewable energy is vital to meeting future energy demands and solar plays a key part. However, the number of solar arrays needed to achieve U.S. clean energy targets by 2035 is vast—as large as the state of Connecticut. This means a lot of open space that can bring not only clean energy, but also benefit pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

The Pollinator Habitat Aligned with Solar Energy, or PHASE, project—funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office is led by the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Research by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign evaluated the scalability and configuration of pollinator plantings to encourage pollinators at large-scale solar facilities. Researchers also evaluated the ecological, performance, and economic effects of pollinator plantings on utility-scale solar.

Stantec led the development of four tools to support solar industry decision-making on the use of pollinator-friendly vegetation: an implementation manual, cost-comparison calculator, seed selection tool, and pollinator habitat assessment module. Together, they help decision makers make more sustainable decisions regarding pollinator vegetation throughout a project.