Spanish researchers claim nest boxes in PV plants often misused for greenwashing

From pv magazine Spain

In Spain, current legislation encourages and often requires energy companies to implement biodiversity offset measures, such as installing nest boxes. This practice is widely used in energy infrastructure and appears in up to 85.6% of PV plants.

The problem, according to new research from the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and the University of Extremadura, is that these measures are sometimes implemented without ecological justification.

The researchers said most nest boxes are poorly designed, placed in unsuitable habitats, and intended for species not present in the area. They added that improper installation can create ecological traps and enable greenwashing.

Through a comprehensive review of environmental impact assessments (EIAs) for PV plants across Spain – the country with the greatest biodiversity in the European Union and the highest number of planned renewable energy projects – the team examined the ecological suitability of nest box installations.

Nest-box design and implementation often show recurring flaws, said the researchers in “Nest-box provisioning as an offset or greenwashing practice in renewables projects,” which was recently published in Biological Conservation. In 42 of 65 cases involving species-specific nest boxes, they found no evidence that the target species had bred in the area before the PV plant was built.

Most PV plants in Spain are located in arid, semi-arid, or steppe habitats, where measures that attract forest or generalist species may increase predator presence, potentially harming steppe bird communities. Of the PV plants sampled, 114 (87.7%) were within 3 km of areas that could host steppe prey species.

Nest boxes are also often placed at high densities and in visible locations, such as near roads and along PV plant edges, to publicize compensatory actions.

“This location can negatively affect bird species that use the boxes for at least four reasons: a) Traffic noise can disrupt adult feeding behavior and chick development; b) Proximity to roads increases the risk of vehicle collisions; c) High nest box density can attract competing species, displacing target species; d) High visibility and easy access increase reproductive failure due to vandalism,” the researchers said.

They also observed that extremely high temperatures inside nest boxes had caused the direct mortality of lesser kestrel chicks. In addition, they noted that nest-box materials can affect microclimate conditions, influencing ectoparasite development.

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