A New UK Scheme Is Certifying Solar Farms That Help Wildlife
Wild Power's scorecard rewards developers for habitat corridors and hedgerows, and an Essex site is the second to earn certification.
A UK scheme aims to make solar farms as good for nature as they are for climate. Wild Power, launched in 2022 by co-founder James Atkins, offers developers a free scorecard to measure and report their biodiversity impact, and independent certification for sites that score well, Positive News reports.
How it works
- The scorecard covers habitats, species, ecological connectivity, monitoring and site management.
- Actions such as creating habitat corridors, protecting protected species and tackling invasive plants earn points.
- Sites reaching at least 70 points can apply for independent certification.
The Essex example
The 10MW Dunmow solar farm in Essex became the second UK site certified, in September. It is co-owned by Thrive Renewables and TopCashback through Fair Play Clean Energy. Projected gains include a 65% rise in habitat biodiversity units and a 19% uplift in hedgerow units, with ecologist Guy Parker advising on the changes.
Why now
- Most new English developments must deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain, extending to nationally significant infrastructure such as large solar farms from November 2026.
- The UK had about 23.2GW of installed solar at the end of August 2026, with a government aim of 45–47GW by 2030.
Honest caveats
Only two sites are certified so far, so the track record is thin. The Dunmow gains are projections, since some habitats take years to mature, and certification verifies measures taken rather than lasting outcomes. Annual ecological surveys are meant to test the results. Positive News notes its article was supported by Thrive Renewables, a co-owner of the Dunmow site.