Harvey Solar works diligently to provide accurate, well-vetted information about solar, the Project, and its potential impacts on the Hartford Township community. Internet sources, whether research publications, periodicals, or social media must be carefully reviewed for accuracy. The information below is intended to respond to many of the concerns and statements shared online and on social media. Harvey Solar believes it is important to address these statements and provide factual clarity to the community.

Common Incorrect Statements Regarding Risk to Birds

You may read online or hear in your community similar inaccurate statements regarding risks to birds.

“In some cases, birds have been known to have suffered burns from flying over solar farms due to the magnifying glass effect these panels have. With their wings scorched, they can no longer fly properly, leading them to fall and die on impact.”

FACTS AND CREDIBLE SOURCES

The claim about birds being burned by solar farms has nothing to do with the ground-mounted solar panels that Harvey Solar will use, but instead relate to a completely different “mirror” solar technology that is used in some desert environments.[1]  

The research study referenced in one news article shared locally about solar and birds actually says that “we found that avian mortalities at [utility-scale solar energy] facilities were considerably lower than other human activities.”  Although that study estimated 37,800 to 138,600 bird deaths per year would be caused by solar facilities, the same study also found that 14.5 million bird deaths per year are caused by fossil fuel power plants and 365-988 million bird deaths per year are caused by buildings.[2]

Solar projects reduce reliance on energy sources that are far more harmful to birds.According to the non-profit National Audubon Society, whose mission is to protect birds, cutting air pollution “is essential to avoid the worst impacts on birds and other wildlife” and “large-scale solar farms can benefit birds overall.”[3]

Resources:

[1] An example is the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in California’s Mojave Desert:  http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ivanpah-solar-project.

[2] Walston, L.J. , Jr. et al., Renewable Energy, “A preliminary assessment of avian mortality at utility-scale solar energy facilities in the United States” (2015), p. 411-412, and Table 2, available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.02.041.

[3]Smithson-Stanley, Lynsy, and Liz Bergstrom, “Why Solar Power Is Good for Birds”, Audubon Society, January 9, 2017, available at: https://www.audubon.org/news/why-solar-power-good-birds