Plant diversity under PV modules rivals grassland at Japanese solar park

A solar plant built on a former golf course in Japan's heavily forested Gifu prefecture has developed diverse native vegetation under its panels without seeding or herbicides, according to a new study. Japanese researchers Miharu Nakatani, Akira Noda and Takeshi Osawa surveyed the 169-hectare, 55 MW plant in the city of Gujo, operated by Pacifico Energy since July 2019. Apart from a commercial seed mix sown on exposed soil before operations began, the site has been managed only by mowing twice a year. The team recorded 211 plant species from 54 families across 60 sample plots in summer and fall ...

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