In the Greifswald region of northern Germany, researchers have discovered that solar panels installed on rewetted peatlands are creating unlikely sanctuaries for threatened bird species—turning land that was once drained for agriculture into a thriving ecosystem that generates clean energy at the same time.
The finding, published in Ecological Solutions and Evidence, addresses one of the thorniest problems facing climate and conservation efforts: what to do with degraded peatlands once they've been restored to wetland status. In Germany, 95 percent of peatlands have been drained and damaged, primarily for farming. Globally, drained peatlands alone account for roughly 5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. Rewetting these lands could dramatically cut emissions and restore biodiversity, but landowners face a difficult choice: once the water returns, most traditional crops fail. Solar panels offer a solution—the German government now pays landowners to both rewet their sites and install solar infrastructure, creating an alternative income stream.
At a solar park on rewetted peatland in northern Germany, researchers led by Hanna Rae Martens, a peatland ecologist at the University of Greifswald, compared bird diversity with nearby intensively farmed, drained peatland. What they found was striking: the solar site hosted several threatened bird species and an unusual ecological mix. Wetland birds like reed buntings and endangered meadow pipits—species that confirm the site is genuinely rewetted—made their homes alongside Eurasian tree sparrows and tree pipits, birds not typically found in peatlands. The birds, it turns out, have learned to use the solar panels themselves as perches. "When I'm out on site, I see a lot of meadow pipits sitting on the panels, flying off to catch insects and then flying back to their perch," Martens explained.
The research, conducted between March and October 2024, used audio recorders and machine learning to monitor and identify species. The contrast with surrounding drained grassland—used to grow feed for livestock—was telling: the solar park supported a richer and more diverse bird community.
Yet Martens and her team are careful not to oversell the findings. This is one of only five rewetted peatland solar park sites in existence globally, and this study represents a single case. "To date, there are approximately five rewetted peatland solar park sites in existence," Martens noted. "More research is needed to draw robust conclusions as to whether these findings occur in other sites as well, and which factors are contributing to the species composition."
The researchers are also adamant that rewetted peatlands shouldn't automatically become solar parks. Healthy peatlands or those with strong restoration potential should remain untouched. Instead, solar panels are one pragmatic tool—not a silver bullet—for supporting peatland recovery where alternative land uses have failed. As Martens put it, "Where the alternative is a drained, intensively managed peatland, our research demonstrates that solar panels on rewetted peatland might benefit bird diversity."
Looking forward, the team plans to expand their research across more sites, monitor additional species including bats and insects, and determine which features of solar park design can be further optimized for wildlife. The work suggests a path forward for reconciling energy transition, carbon storage, and nature recovery in landscapes already scarred by agriculture—though much more evidence will be needed to understand how widely this model can succeed.