Funding Program: SuNLaMP
SunShot Subprogram: Soft Costs
Location: Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL
SunShot Award Amount: $501,308

The soft costs associated with solar project development can increase with potential wildlife impacts. Avian impact issues associated with utility scale solar development, in particular avian fatalities, are not well understood. This project will address these issues to help reach SunShot soft cost target goals by better understanding avian issues at utility scale solar facilities and their soft cost implications using a systematic, standardized, science-based approach that could be applied across the industry.

Approach

This project team will engage a collaborative working group comprised of state and federal land and wildlife management agencies to understand the nature and magnitude of avian and solar interactions and identify cost effective monitoring and mitigation. The group will define key research needs and develop a science plan help guide the decision making of the member agencies.

Innovation

This project will lower solar soft costs by developing a better understanding of cost implications of avian impact issues on project permitting, monitoring, and mitigation requirements. Outreach publications developed under this project will be disseminated to share the results with industry stakeholders.