Floating Solar Growth Raises Questions for Waterbird Habitats

As floating solar installations become more common across agricultural and industrial water bodies, researchers are raising concerns about how these systems may affect local ecosystems—particularly waterbirds. UC Davis scientists are leading research to explore how birds interact with floating photovoltaic (PV) infrastructure, urging the renewable energy sector to integrate ecological considerations early in the design process.

From winery ponds in California to vast reservoirs in China, floatovoltaics offer a space-efficient method to scale clean energy. They help reduce land competition, limit water evaporation, and provide dual-use benefits in water-constrained areas. Yet, despite these advantages, little is known about how aquatic bird species navigate and respond to these structures.

Key Research Priorities for Long-Term Sustainability

To fill this knowledge gap, the UC Davis Wild Energy Center has proposed a research framework aimed at understanding bird-solar interactions. Rather than treating wildlife as an afterthought, researchers suggest building biodiversity into the project planning and rollout phases. The team's early fieldwork shows mixed bird behaviors—from cormorants staking out prime spots to phoebes nesting under panels—indicating a need for location-specific strategies.

UC Davis researchers have identified five critical focus areas to guide future study of floating solar's impact on waterbird populations. These include assessing how pollutants from solar equipment may affect aquatic ecosystems over time, as well as tracking both short-term and long-term behavioral changes in birds around these installations. Understanding physical interactions between waterbirds and the infrastructure itself is also key, along with developing conservation strategies tailored to local environmental conditions. In addition, the team emphasizes the importance of implementing standardized monitoring systems to support ongoing evaluation and adaptive management.

Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez and her colleagues highlight that while early observations suggest floating solar and birdlife can coexist, scaling this technology responsibly demands a strong foundation in ecological data. Clean energy expansion doesn’t have to come at the cost of biodiversity—if wildlife impacts are integrated into planning from the start.

Backed by funding from the California Climate Action Seed Grant and the U.S. Department of Energy, this work is helping set a precedent for environmentally conscious floating solar development that balances energy production with ecosystem protection.