Cooperation with the University of Zielona Gora for nature monitoring at photovoltaic farms.

Biodiversity monitoring is driven by the ethical values embraced by Polenergia and the goals set in the ESG Strategy concerning environmental protection due diligence.

Selected taxonomic groups will undergo qualitative and quantitative analysis over a period of twelve months. The research will cover:

• Invertebrates, with a particular focus on wild bees and butterflies.
• Birds, including both breeding species on the farm and migratory species using the farm as a hunting ground.
• Mammals, whose monitoring will involve the use of camera traps and analysis of tracks and droppings.
• The research will also include the analysis of bat occurrence using echolocation recorders.

Conducting ongoing biodiversity monitoring on the farm premises will provide valuable information in the following areas:

• Enable the assessment of the impact of photovoltaic farms on biodiversity in the investment region.
• Allow the evaluation of the effectiveness of nature conservation actions implemented on the farms in preserving biodiversity.
• Provide comparative data between the photovoltaic farm areas and the neighboring areas.
• The monitoring results will also aid in the development of action plans for biodiversity conservation on the photovoltaic farms in Sulechów and on newly established photovoltaic farms carried out by Polenergia Group companies.

The Sulechów I, Sulechów II, and Sulechów III Photovoltaic Farm Complex is located in Kruszyna, Sulechów Municipality, Zielona Góra County, Lubusz Voivodeship. It consists of 29 photovoltaic farms, where, due to technological constraints (row spacing, access roads), the solar panels occupy only half of the over 50-hectare area of the photovoltaic farms in Sulechów. This allows for additional actions to support biodiversity.

Since 2021, a flower meadow has been maintained on some of the farms, and since 2022, a pasture meadow with flowering species has been established. Earth mounds for bumblebees and insect hotels have been created on the farm premises. As a result of these initiatives, bird, mammal, and insect surveys have been conducted since autumn 2021.

Biodiversity monitoring on the photovoltaic farms has been conducted since 2021. Thanks to the research conducted so far, the presence of six mammal species has been confirmed on the premises of the Sulechów Photovoltaic Farm Complex. Ornithologists have documented the occurrence of as many as 30 bird species, including four partially protected species and 26 strictly protected species, including two species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive Natura 2000.

More information about the previous activities on the Sulechów Photovoltaic Farms can be found at: https://esg.polenergia.pl/2022/en/good-practices/caring-for-biodiversity-at-photovoltaic-farms/

By signing the agreement with the University of Zielona Góra, we are expanding the scope of the ongoing biodiversity monitoring. Additionally, through the signed agreement, we are expanding our collaboration with scientific institutions, which provides us with the opportunity to fulfill tasks and Sustainable Development Goals, promoting, among others, the protection of natural resources on land and minimizing the impact of investments on the natural environment. By conducting environmental monitoring activities in partnership with the University of Zielona Góra, we are pursuing SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals.