Optimal Vegetation Management in Solar Parks.
Why mulching leads the way.
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Why mulching leads the way.
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Solar power plants today play an irreplaceable role in the production of so-called clean energy as well as in efforts to reduce emissions. However, photovoltaic parks occupy large areas of natural land, making it essential to address their ecological impact during construction and operation.
This means ensuring soil and vegetation quality recovery through proper seed selection and the choice of an appropriate maintenance method.
If you operate a solar power plant, you probably consider various vegetation maintenance methods: grazing, mowing, or mulching.
This article discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these maintenance options, their impact on the ecosystem within the power plants and surrounding landscapes, and the associated costs.
The article is based on the study “Suitable sward management in photovoltaic parks in relation to sustainability and ecosystem services – a review,” conducted by the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, specifically the Department of Agroecology and Crop Production at the Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources.
The species composition of grass affects both the ecosystem and subsequent maintenance requirements. Therefore, selecting the right seed mixture is crucial when establishing grasslands.
Maintaining the ecological benefits of vegetation requires diversity, vitality, and resilience, influenced by adequate watering, nutrients, and timely harvesting.
Each vegetation management method has its unique benefits:
The choice of methods depends on the specific conditions of the solar park, its infrastructure, and the operator’s goals. Let us take a closer look at each maintenance type.
The grazing sheep is often mentioned as a low-cost, environmentally friendly way to manage vegetation in solar parks while utilizing the growing vegetation. Sheep graze and naturally fertilize the soil in the process. Grazing has a low environmental impact as it does not require the use of heavy machinery. However, it also brings a range of disadvantages and complications.
Sheep consume only tasty and nutritious plants, leaving less desirable species (e.g., weeds) untouched. This increases vegetation diversity but can also lead to the spread of weeds. Weeds that are not grazed produce seeds that may spread within the park and onto adjacent land.
Ungrazed plants must be mowed to prevent them from shading or even damaging photovoltaic panels. Maintaining vegetation and blocking weed spread requires regular mowing or mulching at least once a year, thus increasing maintenance costs.Frequently grazed plants weaken and may disappear entirely, reducing grassland quality and disrupting the ecosystem balance.
Intensive animal movement, especially on sloped land, can cause soil compaction, reduced water infiltration, increased runoff, and soil loss.
Short-grazed vegetation is prone to drying out and wind erosion.
Similarly to intensively mowed areas, it loses its ability to retain moisture and protect the soil.
Solar parks must be adapted for grazing:
Ensuring good living conditions requires:
Grazing is not suitable in these locations:
Vegetation management through grazing requires careful planning and infrastructure adaptation. Poor management can lead to soil degradation, reduced vegetation quality, and increased costs for supplementary measures. Grazing is most suitable for flat areas with access to support from local farmers.
With the Spider Autonomous 2.0 mower, you do not need to worry about these issues. While sheep work according to their needs, the Spider Autonomous 2.0 works reliably according to your plans.
Regular mowing with biomass removal allows perfect control over vegetation. It ensures aesthetics, eliminates weeds, and prevents panel shading. Mowing also helps maintain ecosystem stability by limiting the excessive growth of dominant species.
However, mowing with biomass reduction also has several disadvantages and risks, especially in the long term.
The amount of fuel required, machinery maintenance and storage, and labor demands significantly increase the maintenance costs of a solar power plant.
This method cannot be considered sustainable, particularly on soils with medium or low fertility. Biomass removal gradually reduces soil nutrients. This either leads to sparse vegetation, limiting the ecosystem's benefits or necessitates additional fertilization, incurring extra costs.
Producing mineral fertilizers is associated with the extraction of non-renewable resources and environmental pollution.
Harvested biomass requires transport to composting facilities or organic waste sites.Incorrect biomass storage can lead to nitrate release and water pollution. Regular transportation of mown grass increases emissions.
The Spider Autonomous 2.0 eliminates most of these disadvantages. Thanks to its autonomy, it reduces labor demands, optimizes energy consumption, and enables efficient vegetation maintenance through mulching, eliminating the need for biomass transport.
Removing vegetation cover during mowing increases the risk of soil drying. Exposed soil is subjected to direct sunlight, which worsens the microclimate, and reduces moisture levels.
Frequent use of heavy machinery for biomass harvesting can compact the soil, reducing its water absorption capacity and increasing water runoff and erosion risk.
Mowing is effective for vegetation control but comes with higher costs, environmental impacts (emissions and soil compaction), and nutrient demands. It is particularly suitable for areas with sufficiently fertile soil and budgets that allow regular fertilization and maintenance.
Mulching is an increasingly popular sustainability method in solar parks. Shredded biomass protects the soil from erosion, retains moisture, and improves the microclimate.
Despite these advantages, mulching also involves a number of challenges that must be considered. Most of them can be resolved through proper organization and timing.
Poor timing or excessive biomass production can lead to material accumulation on the soil surface. This may affect plant growth negatively, slow down biomass decomposition, and reduce vegetation diversity.Mulching may not effectively suppress invasive weeds. If weeds have already run to seed before mulching, they can continue to spread.
Mulching should be done at the end of spring or early in summer. Late or irregular mulching can result in undesirable changes in botanical composition.
In areas with rapid biomass growth, mulching may need to be carried out more frequently, increasing maintenance demands. This can lead to higher workload and costs.
Some plant species, especially slow-growing or low-resilience ones, may be suppressed by mulching. This could impact grassland biodiversity.
Lack of rainfall or excessive dryness can slow down biomass decomposition. This can lead to long-term material accumulation, acting as a physical barrier for new shoots.
Mulching is a low-cost and environmentally friendly method, but it requires careful timing and regularity to avoid negative impacts like biomass accumulation or plant suppression. It is less suitable for areas with high biomass production or invasive weed species.
The Spider Autonomous 2.0 is designed to handle mulching effortlessly. Thanks to its autonomous operation, it reduces labor demands and saves resources, allowing you to mulch whenever needed.
The Spider Autonomous 2.0 – an autonomous mower that revolutionizes vegetation maintenance.
It is a comprehensive solution for modern solar parks. It combines the benefits of all traditional methods, minimizes their disadvantages, and introduces a new standard of efficiency and sustainability.
If you want to maximize the performance of your solar park while also taking care of the environment, the Spider Autonomous 2.0 is the solution you are looking for.
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