NEXT-GENERATION SOLAR PARKS

NEXT-GENERATION SOLAR PARKS

Dear Visitor!

Changes in the Earth’s climate are transforming the world as we know it today. According to international scientific meteorological observations, 16 of the 17 warmest years have occurred since 2000, with forest fires, heat waves and floods becoming more frequent. If warming continues at this rate, some models suggest that average temperatures could rise by up to 5o C by the end of the century, with unforeseen consequences not only for the environment but also for the economy.

Renewable energy sources – wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, biomass and biofuels – can provide an alternative to fossil fuels. Their importance is growing globally and in Hungary. The growth potential of solar PV technology is reinforced by the fact that solar panels are becoming more affordable worldwide, while their efficiency and lifetime are also increasing

Given Hungary’s geographical and solar characteristics, solar energy has one of the largest potentials for electricity generation from renewable energy sources, and the installed photovoltaic capacity has increased in recent years. The new National Energy Strategy puts the expansion of solar PV capacity at the heart of the strategy, which sets a target of 6,000 MW of installed photovoltaic capacity in Hungary by 2030.

The sustainable realisation of these capacities can only be envisaged if they are developed in an environmentally and nature-friendly way, taking into account as much as possible the ecological requirements and characteristics of the area concerned.
Solar parks can be particularly useful for supporting wildlife and increasing biodiversity. A particularly positive factor is that, with proper design and minimal management and intervention, a solar park can provide almost undisturbed habitat for both flora and fauna for about 30 years after construction.

By drawing up the development principles for the new generation of solar parks, the seven participating organisations – energy companies, environmental management and protection companies, beekeeping professional organisations and national park directorates – aimed to provide guidance to the sector by adapting international experience in order to ensure that solar energy can provide clean energy for the country in the long term, in line with the principles of nature conservation and ecological management.

In this guide, we have put together a set of tools that can be used individually to achieve the objectives.