Exagen is a renewable energy developer, asset owner and manager, building the next generation of utility scale solar farms and grid-balancing battery storage facilities. Our projects have the potential to positively influence a variety of species and habitats both within and close to our development sites. We take great care to balance biodiversity needs on all our projects, and we are committed to continually improving our biodiversity performance by delivering our projects in the most sustainable way. Many of our projects are on farmland and the integration of energy production, agricultural productivity and biodiversity are at the core of what we do.
As a minimum, we ensure compliance with all biodiversity, environmental and regulatory drivers, but aim to achieve much more. We know we can’t do this alone, and we work closely with ecological and landscape consultants and collaborate with key stakeholders where we can.
Key principles:
- Comply with all applicable environmental laws and regulations;
- Apply the principles of the mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimise, restore, and compensate as a last resort) in all phases of our projects;
- Avoid locating new projects in spaces that are protected due to their ecological, biological, cultural and/or landscape value or areas catalogued as having high value for biodiversity: these factors form a key constraint in the identification of new project sites;
- Many of our solar projects are on land that has been intensively farmed so by implementing our projects on a long-term but temporary basis, with a very limited ground footprint, this allows the soil beneath our solar farms to regenerate and recover;
- Noting the importance of balancing food security alongside energy security we will aim to maximise the continuation of agricultural practices alongside our solar farms, looking at sheep grazing as a minimum and where possible consider agrivoltaics, where crops are grown alongside solar panels;
- Protect and enhance biodiversity during our activities through continued investment at our sites, demonstrating an average of at least 20% biodiversity net gain across our solar and battery projects, significantly above and beyond the 10% net gain that will be required under the Environment Act 2021;
- Implementing best practice solutions to retain trees and hedgerows on our project sites and prevent the use of netting intended to stop birds from nesting;
- Look to minimise tree and hedgerow removal, particularly those of high value, to facilitate new development and where this can’t be avoided look to compensate for any losses with creation of new improved habitats, working with our project ecological consultants;
- Maximise opportunities for landscape and biodiversity enhancement in the form of gapping up and strengthening existing green corridors through and around our sites, using native species planting;
- Incorporate biodiversity elements in the design of our projects, such as bat boxes, bird/ owl boxes, log piles/ hibernacula/ refugia for reptiles, mammal gates in perimeter fencing on our solar farms;
- Identify and establish management plans for invasive species that pose a risk to ecosystems and species at our sites;
- Work with key stakeholders in identifying community benefit projects around our sites with a focus on biodiversity improvements, working with relevant organisations such as Local Wildlife Trusts and the Woodland Trust; and
- Deliver public value by educating local school children with key wildlife messages and increasing access to and enjoyment of our sites, where we can.