Vena Energy, the renewable energy business of Vena Group, has received a Gold Award in the corporate category at the 2026 Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards (APSAA) for its “Protecting Little Terns with Green Energy” initiative at the Yizhu Solar Project in Chiayi.
Organised by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), the award recognises Vena Energy’s long-term efforts to integrate biodiversity considerations into the management of its solar facilities. Through ecological conservation, scientific monitoring, habitat enhancement and cross-sector collaboration, the initiative demonstrates how renewable energy development and biodiversity conservation can progress together.
President Lai Ching-te attended the presentation ceremony for the 5th Asia-Pacific Sustainability Action Awards. In his remarks, he underscored the role of resilience, innovation and shared prosperity in advancing Taiwan’s economic development, social progress and environmental sustainability.
The 2026 APSAA attracted 107 participating organisations and 187 entries, representing year-on-year increases of 12.6% and 8.1%, respectively. Eight companies received Gold Awards in the corporate category. Vena Energy’s initiative supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 15, “Life on Land”, and was recognised by the organiser as an example of how renewable energy development can coexist with biodiversity.
Five Years of Science-Led Habitat Management
From the development stage, Vena Energy designated approximately 30% of the Yizhu Solar Project site as an ecological conservation area, providing migratory birds with space to rest, forage and breed. The company has also worked with the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society and Tunghai University to monitor birdlife, water quality, and other ecological indicators.
Drawing on long-term ecological data and expert recommendations, the team has continually adapted its site-management approach. Since 2021, the artificial islands and surrounding habitats have been enhanced through the installation of three sluice gates and a pumping system to manage water levels according to rainfall and habitat requirements. The team also lowered the height of the artificial islands, covered them with straw mats to reduce airborne dust, and added oyster shells and gravel as nesting materials. These measures have helped create more suitable nesting conditions for Kentish Plovers and encourage their use of the artificial island habitats.
In 2025, approximately 500 metres of fencing was installed around the artificial islands to prevent free-roaming dogs from entering, helping to reduce the risks of disturbance and predation. As habitat conditions improved, the monitoring team began observing Little Tern activity and occasional signs of nesting, providing valuable data to inform future conservation measures.
Monitoring in 2025 recorded 30 bird species in the ecological conservation area, with a peak single count of 1,194 waterbirds. The team also recorded 435 Black-faced Spoonbill sightings – the highest annual figure since monitoring began – while the breeding success rate of Kentish Plovers reached 41%.
Beyond the designated conservation area, automated cameras also captured Greater Painted-snipes using spaces beneath the solar panels. These observations suggest that, with appropriate wet-grassland management and habitat planning, areas occupied by solar infrastructure can also provide habitat for birdlife.
Determining whether solar energy and ecology can coexist requires long-term monitoring and the continuous accumulation of ecological data. At Vena Energy’s Yizhu Solar Project, we have observed that while the solar facilities continue to operate, different bird species continue to use the artificial islands, ecological conservation areas and spaces beneath the solar panels. Resting and breeding outcomes for certain species have also gradually improved. These tangible results demonstrate that, through professional monitoring, continuous management adjustments and habitat enhancement, renewable energy sites can become part of the broader regional ecological network.
Turning Conservation into Shared Action
As ecological conditions continued to improve, Vena Energy expanded its conservation efforts to involve businesses, schools and local communities. In 2025, the company launched its three-part “Little Tern Trilogy” initiative, bringing together more than 70 employees, local teachers, students and community partners. Participants created, painted, glazed and installed 50 Little Tern decoys on the artificial islands to help simulate a colony-nesting environment.
The initiative began with 16 Vena Energy employees creating the decoys while learning about Little Terns and the conservation work underway at the site. This was followed by the participation of 41 teachers and students from Nan Sing Elementary School, who learned about their local wetland ecosystem and renewable energy development through ecological tours, outdoor observation and decoy painting. In the final stage, the principal and 13 teachers from Sialun Elementary School visited the artificial islands to complete the installation.
Through a combination of habitat enhancement, science-led management and cross-sector collaboration, the Yizhu Solar Project has evolved beyond a renewable energy facility. It is also becoming a platform connecting ecological conservation, environmental education and community participation – enabling more people to move from learning about conservation to actively contributing to it.
Energy transition and biodiversity conservation do not have to come at the expense of one another. Years of monitoring at the Yizhu Solar Project have shown how solar facilities can generate clean energy while supporting bird habitats through thoughtful planning, science-led conservation and long-term management. This award recognises not only a single conservation initiative, but also a model of coexistence built through Vena Energy’s long-term collaboration with the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society, Tunghai University and local schools. Looking ahead, we will continue to integrate biodiversity into site management, ensuring that our vision of Engineering a Greener Future encompasses not only clean energy, but also lasting value for the natural environment and the communities around us.