The protection of the surrounding vegetation during the maintenance of solar panels is an important part of eco-friendly operation and maintenance, which requires taking into account both system efficiency and the ecological environment. The following are the key points of vegetation protection that need to be focused on during maintenance:
First, planning and assessment before maintenance
Ecological impact prediction
Before formulating the maintenance plan, it is necessary to investigate the types of vegetation (such as trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants), distribution density and growth cycle around the power station. For example, if the power station is adjacent to an orchard or protective forest, the root system range and canopy projection area of the trees should be marked to prevent maintenance activities from damaging their growth.
Identify sensitive vegetation (such as ancient and famous trees, endangered species), and demarcate protection areas in advance (for example, heavy machinery is prohibited from entering within 10 meters of the power station boundary).
Seasonal adjustment
Avoid large-scale maintenance during the critical growth periods of vegetation (such as spring sowing and autumn fruiting) to reduce the impact on plant reproduction.
Suspend the operation of heavy equipment during the rainy season or when the soil is moist to prevent soil compaction from causing root suffocation.
Second, vegetation protection measures during cleaning and construction
Cleaning Operation Specifications
Rational utilization of water resources: If the solar panels are cleaned by flushing, it is necessary to avoid direct erosion of the surrounding vegetation by water flow. For example, in slope power stations, diversion channels should be set up to direct wastewater to areas without vegetation, or water storage tanks should be used for recycling and reuse.
Chemical agent control: The use of herbicides or strongly corrosive cleaning agents is prohibited to prevent the agents from seeping into the soil with rainwater. If sterilization treatment is required, biodegradable and environmentally friendly agents should be selected, and the spraying range should be controlled (more than 1 meter away from the vegetation).
Construction equipment and personnel management
Equipment path planning: Heavy machinery such as excavators and cranes must travel along hardened roads or temporary steel plates laid on them. It is strictly prohibited to directly run over vegetation. For example, in mountain power stations, the original mountain paths can be utilized to widen the operation passages and reduce the damage to vegetation caused by newly built roads.
Personnel behavior constraints: Maintenance personnel must wear anti-slip shoe covers and avoid stepping on tender vegetation. Tools and materials should be stored centrally and must not be discarded at will (for example, plastic packaging bags may be mistakenly eaten by animals).
Third, vegetation restoration and compensation measures
The restoration of temporarily occupied areas
If maintenance requires temporary occupation of the vegetation area (such as equipment stacking or personnel stationing), the re-greening must be completed within 72 hours after the operation is finished.
Repair method:
Clear the hardened ground (such as concrete blocks) and backfill it with imported soil that is similar in composition to the original soil layer.
Sow local grass seeds (such as Bermuda grass, ryegrass) or transplant shrubs from the same area to ensure a survival rate of ≥85%.
Lay degradable dust-proof nets (such as straw fiber nets) to reduce soil erosion.
Compensation for long-term effects
For the permanent loss of vegetation caused by the construction or maintenance of power stations, the principle of “occupying one and making up for one” should be followed to carry out off-site replanting. For instance, if a power station occupies one mu of forest land, it is necessary to replant an equal area of native tree species (such as Masson pine and camphor tree) in the surrounding areas, and ensure that the survival rate within three years is ≥90%.
Fourth, long-term ecological monitoring and maintenance
Vegetation health monitoring
Every quarter, a sampling survey of the vegetation within a 50-meter range around the power station is conducted to record species diversity, coverage and pest and disease conditions.
Key indicators:
If the number of a certain type of plant is found to have decreased by more than 30%, it is necessary to analyze whether it is related to the shading of solar panels, maintenance activities or changes in soil pH.
The infrared imaging technology of unmanned aerial vehicles is used to detect the growth of vegetation and identify potential stress areas.
Adaptive management
Adjust the maintenance strategy dynamically based on the monitoring results. For instance, if it is found that the herbaceous plants beneath the solar panels have deteriorated due to insufficient light, shade-tolerant ground covers (such as Ophiopogon japonicus and Hosta) can be replanted, or the spacing between the components can be adjusted to increase light transmission.
Establish a vegetation-power station symbiosis model: Plant soil-stabilizing shrubs (such as locust trees) outside the power station fence, which not only prevents soil erosion but also provides habitats for birds, reducing the risk of them pecking at the solar panels.
Fifth, targeted protection for special scenarios
Agricultural photovoltaic power station
If the power station is built in combination with farmland, a design of “high support + large spacing” should be adopted (such as support height ≥2.5 meters, row spacing ≥8 meters) to ensure that agricultural machinery can pass freely and at the same time avoid shadows affecting the photosynthesis of crops.
When maintaining, avoid the period of fertilizing and spraying pesticides on crops to prevent the pesticides from contaminating the solar panels or corroding the vegetation.
Wetland or protected area power station
When building power stations around wetlands, ecological isolation belts (such as 30-meter-wide reed belts) should be set up to filter out oil stains or cleaning agents in the maintenance wastewater.
Use low-noise equipment (such as power tools) to avoid disturbing the migratory birds’ habitat.
Sixth, emergency response plans and responsibility implementation
Vegetation damage response
Establish a hierarchical response mechanism:
First-level damage (such as crushing a single shrub) : Replant the same plant within 24 hours;
Secondary damage (such as destruction of large areas of grassland) : Re-greening should be completed within 72 hours, and the survival rate should be monitored for 3 months.
Retain the image records before and after the damage as the basis for insurance claims or environmental assessment.
Personnel training and assessment
Operation and maintenance personnel need to receive ecological protection training (such as identifying local species and mastering traceless operation skills), and can only take up their posts after passing the assessment.
Incorporate vegetation protection into the KPI assessment (for example, the vegetation loss rate caused by maintenance should be ≤0.5% per year).
