Solar energy and the primary sector increasingly share the same space, and they do more than coexist—they complement each other. Using land for both farming and energy reduces pressure on ecosystems and boosts biodiversity when plantations expand.
Iberdrola advances a range of initiatives that blend renewable installations with the production and use of ecosystem services such as animal husbandry, beekeeping, and the cultivation of aromatic plants grown on site. The coexistence of renewable facilities with these activities signals a strong commitment to rural employment and local resilience.
Photovoltaic plants, when paired with careful land stewardship, can become havens for biodiversity by supporting the creation and preservation of ecosystems and by limiting human activity within the enclosures.
PERSEUS program
Through Iberdrola Start-up, an international program, the company backs solutions that integrate photovoltaic plants with viticulture, fruit trees, animal welfare, and irrigation. For instance, EcoEnergías del Guadiana has piloted a project that harvests tomatoes under fixed or retractable structures that support solar panels, reducing heat stress on crops, limiting hail damage, saving water, and improving harvest outcomes.
The Winesolar project brings together Techedge (advanced tech solutions), PVH (solar-tracker structures), and Gonzales Byass winery to protect vineyards by producing shade. A smart tracker installed in the Gonzales Byass vineyards in Valladolid is carefully integrated into the landscape, creating a microclimate that mitigates thermal and water stress on vines, strengthening resilience to climate change.
The dual use of land for energy and agriculture relieves pressure on ecosystems.
Bees and cows in the shade of photovoltaic panels
Another environmentally friendly initiative took place in Puebla de Guzmán (Huelva) and Nuñez de Balboa (Badajoz). Iberdrola, in collaboration with Tesela Natura, installed 270 beehives housing more than 13 million bees on photovoltaic plants. The project will extend to other Iberdrola solar parks and demonstrates how pollinator habitats within renewables can stabilize local ecosystems. In these parks, bees benefit from herbicide-free land and controlled weed growth through grazing, creating ecotones ideal for growing aromatic plants such as milflores, rosemary, broom, and thyme, which in turn enhances honey quality.
In May 2022, new hives were added at the C. Arañuelo III photovoltaic plant in Cáceres. This facility generates clean energy for the equivalent of 65,000 homes per year and will prevent around 41,000 tonnes of CO2 annually. It sits on dehesa land, an ecologically classified landscape that supports ecological sun honey production. This marks a milestone in the solar honey project, developed with Tesela Natura, which partners beekeepers and identifies pollination-friendly lands to create new value in photovoltaic parks.
Nearby, the Monte Forgoselo wind farm in Galicia hosts more than 500 cows and over a hundred horses. The 37 wind turbines powering more than 7,000 homes enable farmers to graze animals nearby, with routes and viewpoints that invite walking or cycling. Access roads to the wind farm also facilitate farming duties.
In Extremadura, the Núñez de Balboa facility in Usagre grazes more than 1,200 sheep across its grounds, enabling rotational planting. The plant has 500 MW of capacity and stands as Europe’s largest Iberdrola operation of its kind.
A CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE PLANET
The transition to a carbon-neutral economy is a tangible goal for Iberdrola. The company believes that achieving this in the near term is technologically feasible, economically viable, and socially necessary. Over the next 20 years, with an investment exceeding €120,000 million, the group is committed to leading the energy transition.
The sustainable energy model Iberdrola champions rests on innovation, decarbonization, and electrification. It aligns with a circular economy by reducing emissions, using renewables for production, enhancing efficiency, optimizing resources, and maximizing waste reuse.