Bee-ing Green: enhancing local ecosystems with bee hotels

Insect numbers in the UK are declining as a consequence of pollution, loss of habitat and temperature raises. Invertebrates are critical to ecosystem functions and services, and without them life on earth would collapse.

We sat down with Marco and Ypatia from Schroders Greencoat to chat how the activities at their solar farms are beneficial to all insects.

What do Schroders Greencoat do to support local ecosystems?

Ypatia: At Schroders Greencoat, we’re dedicated to the high-growth renewable infrastructure market, including solar, wind and bioenergy and sustainable greenhouses.

We bought our first portfolio of three solar projects in 2016, located in Cornwall, Monmouthshire, and Kent.

How many beehives are there across Schroders Greencoat’s portfolio?

Marco: In total we have 14: six at Kinmel, North Wales; four at Rhewl, South Wales; and four at Carlam, East Yorkshire.

The number of bees we have fluctuates according to the season. During the winter, one hive can have approximately 5,000 bees, while in summer a good colony can reach 50,000! In total, across the 14 hives in summertime, we can have roughly half a million bees.

What type of bees do you have on these sites?

Marco: They’re hybrid bees. There is a strong tradition in the UK for selective breeding, for example the Buckfast with Brother Adam. Bees are normally sourced locally as they have an adaptation advantage within the area where they will live. This means the bees accustomed to external factors, such as weather and the accessibility to food.

How do you identify whether it’s a good site for bees?

Marco: Solar farms, many with their hedges and meadows, provide a friendly environment to invertebrates’ life. We decided to build our apiaries initially on solar farms that had local council support and planning agreements in place.

Before proceeding we ask for advice from our biodiversity consultants. They review the National Apiary Database for proximity to other apiaries. They also consider existing ecosystems and available ecology surveys, levels of pollution, presence of woodlands and water sources, protection from winds and the topography.

We’re keen for local communities to understand solar farms and to witness how they improve the conditions of the land they are built on, by offering access for research and educational purposes.

How long do the beehives typically stay on the site?

Ypatia: Typically 30-40 years! That’s the remainder of the solar project life. The Queen bee normally lives for 1-2 years and bees swarm to her to reproduce, so we don’t have the same colony on the same hive for too long.

We’re aiming to install more beehives on other sites where planning allows, and the local habitat has a chance to thrive. We work with ecologists and specialists to determine the best biodiversity improvement interventions for the sites.

These improvement interventions will include a planned conversation project in 2023 to promote the European dark bee, known in Britain as the British Black Bee. This bee is the original local bee but has disappeared from most areas of the UK due to massive importation of Queen and is only surviving in localised areas in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Who looks after the bees?

Ypatia: Our beekeepers are well organised professionals and have sufficient resources to ensure that the colonies are in good health.

We have engaged with two beekeeping organisations. The first is a local association called Conwy Beekeepers which is affiliated with the Welsh Beekeepers’ Association. They look after the Kinmel beehives and arrange training sessions for volunteers in the local community.

We’ve also already seen interest from several enthusiastic volunteer beekeepers. They’re excited about promoting the importance of bees on our solar projects for a healthy ecosystem.

Marco: The other organisation is The GoodBee Project Co., which looks after the beehives in Rhewl and Carlam. They arrange school visits and educational programmes with its network of local beekeepers.

How much honey do the bees produce?

Ypatia: Six of the hives have young colonies, only recently homed, the remainder were homed last year. We are at the start of our production journey and climate and weather play a significant role. A strong family is estimated to produce between 25 and 50 lbs of surplus honey per hive annually.

With our sustainable beekeeping approach, honey is only harvested if there is more than enough honey available for the colonies families to safely pass through the winter months.

What happens to all this honey?

Marco: The honey is normally sold by the beekeepers for their own profit and re-investment. A proportion of the honey produced at Kinmel will be sold by our partners at the Conwy Honey Fair, a trading event dating back 700 years.

We recently hosted a Bee Day with Greencoat colleagues, family, and friends. This included harvesting the honey from two of our London sites and understanding more about bees and biodiversity.

How does Schroders Greencoat support the local community and environment in other ways?

Ypatia: Where appropriate, the sites are available for sheep grazing as well as the planting of trees, hedges, wildflowers, and bird boxes to create a thriving habitat.

We also engage with local educational facilities and host visits for students and those from underprivileged background visits to.

Marco: Workshops targeted at the retired, unemployed, and unwell also provide support. And we aim to contribute to local community benefit funds, social projects, and charities, while actively striving to curb our waste to landfill, by donating our packaging material from our sites in construction and recycling damaged solar modules.

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