Clarkson & Woods

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership

A KTP to help the solar energy sector manage operational arrays for ecosystem services

Clarkson & Woods Ecological Consultants worked with Lancaster Environment Centre on a KTP to co-develop a standardised solar park natural capital and ecosystem service assessment, working with a range of solar parks across England and Wales. The KTP aimed to help equip the solar energy industry to deliver much needed low-carbon energy and environmental enhancements from solar parks.

KTP Associate, Dr Fabio Carvalho, worked with the team at Clarkson & Woods and Professor Alona Armstrong and Dr Stuart Sharp at Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University.

The Project

Clarkson & Woods’ team of expert ecologists provide a range of ecological survey and consultancy services, including advice on ecological mitigation design and ecological enhancement. The company’s clients span a broad range of sectors including solar parks, as well as private homeowners, local authorities and housing developers.

The KTP with Lancaster Environment Centre contributed significantly to Clarkson & Woods’ ability to help improve the performance of the solar energy sector in managing operational arrays for biodiversity and ecosystem services. The KTP partners co-developed Solar Energy UK’s Biodiversity Monitoring Standardised Protocol, which provides the solar energy industry with important information on the biodiversity impacts of solar farms, as well as a knowledge base to inform management practice.

The Impact

Clarkson and Woods

“The opportunity to work alongside Fabio, the KTP Associate and the academic team at Lancaster Environment Centre has been inspiring. The KTP has opened up market opportunity and helped us to grow our burgeoning reputation as an industry leading expert. We will continue to look for new KTP opportunities as the experience has been very worthwhile.”

Tom Clarkson, Managing Director, Clarkson and Woods

Academic team

“The KTP has enhanced the impact of Lancaster's research, informing industry practice through the standardised protocol; and providing valuable insight to inform solar park land management. It has also sparked other ideas and activities, including similar work in Greece.

Before the KTP began, we anticipated co-completing a valuable and useful project with Clarkson and Woods. We had not expected for it to fuel as many further ideas and options for our work with the company and the wider solar industry in the UK, nor to transfer the knowledge generated internationally.”

Professor Alona Armstrong, Professor in Energy & Environmental Studies and Dr Stuart Sharp, Senior Lecturer, Lancaster Environment Centre

Professor Alona Armstrong and Dr Stuart Sharp

KTP Associate

“The KTP allowed me to work with a business partner and to better understand the consultancy sector, as well as to learn the different stages and processes involved in environmental assessment exercises of new land development schemes. In addition, it allowed me to work in partnership with a diverse range of companies and trade bodies within the solar energy sector, something not easily achievable within a purely academic context.

KTP offers a very comprehensive training package in broad business management skills, which I think are very useful for those intending to work within a business environment after completion of their KTP. The emphasis on the Associate development through training opportunities is probably one of the strongest features of the KTP scheme and one I hope will continue in the future.”

Dr Fabio Carvalho, KTP Associate

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