Building biodiversity and solar projects with Fran Button (British Solar Renewables)

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Solar projects in Great Britain are often framed as a trade-off: can we combat climate change without compromising the countryside? Increasingly, the answer is yes. Across the country, solar developers are not only installing panels but actively restoring and enhancing the ecosystems around them.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is reshaping what responsible solar development looks like. Many leading projects are far exceeding the statutory 10% requirement, transforming intensively farmed monoculture into thriving habitats. These sites now deliver clean power while providing farmers with stable, long-term income—showing we don’t have to choose between renewable energy and rich, living landscapes.

In this conversation, Fran Button - deputy CEO at British Solar Renewables joins Ed to unpack how solar developers are designing projects that benefit both the grid and the natural world.

• Why ecologists must establish a biodiversity baseline before construction begins.

• How some developments are achieving BNG scores of 200% or more - well beyond what regulations demand.

• Whether high-tech energy generation can genuinely coexist with low-tech agriculture.

• Dispelling the misconception that solar farms are empty that solar developments lack ecological value.

• How solar energy is providing farmers with a stable income stream that allows them to continue farming.

About our guest

Fran Button is Deputy CEO of British Solar Renewables where she is responsible for all aspects of risk management and ESG. With a background as a specialist non-contentious construction lawyer involved in drafting and negotiating complex building contracts. Fran has particular expertise in renewables projects having being involved in large-scale solar development and funding and energy from waste projects.

British Solar Renewables are developing, building, and operating renewable energy projects that power homes, businesses, and communities. From green fields to grid connection - creating clean energy that strengthens the UK’s resilience, supports biodiversity, and delivers lasting value for people and the planet. For more information head to their website. https://britishrenewables.com/

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage understand the market — and make the most out of their assets.

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