Nature’s best lawnmower: How solar grazing is changing the photovoltaic landscape
Farmers in the USA are waking up to the benefits of keeping sheep on solar farms, but Europe’s been doing this for ages.America’s booming solar industry has found an unlikely hero in its quest to green up its power supply - the humble sheep.
Grazing sheep under the panels of huge solar farms is proving to have multiple benefits. As well as maintaining the ground, it improves soil quality, reduces flooding, and makes the sheep happier and healthier.
The sheep population in the US has been in decline, with a headcount currently of around five million, compared to a high of 50 million in 1947. The mutton industry is struggling, and around two-thirds of the country’s lamb is imported.
As such, anything that bolsters the sheep industry is warmly welcomed by US farmers. The fact that it helps with green energy production is the cherry on top.
Sheepherder JR Howard has been one of the beneficiaries of this new movement, as he explained to the Independent this week. In 2021, he began working with solar farms to use his sheep to keep down the grass.
This small endeavour has boomed, growing into a major operation with 8,000 sheep and two dozen employees. He has more clients than he can manage and expects to add another 20 employees by the end of this year.
“Just the growth has been kind of crazy for us,” said Howard, who named his company Texas Solar Sheep. “It’s been great for me and my family.”
Known as ‘agrivoltaics,’ we’re just beginning to realise the benefits of making good use of the ground underneath solar arrays. As well as sheep, agrivoltaics can involve crops, other livestock or even bees.
“Agrivoltaics has enormous potential to solve our climate and energy problems simultaneously,” says Joshua Pearce, professor at Western University. “It not only produces clean energy but also enhances agricultural output, yielding more produce than traditional farming methods.”
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What is solar grazing?Quite simply, solar grazing is the practice of putting grazing animals in the same field as a solar array. Sheep are the most common animals used for this, although other livestock have been used in some installations.
When solar arrays are installed, it is beneficial to have grassland underneath. Vegetation prevents stormwater runoff and corrosion from polluting the water supply, but it also needs to be controlled.
Tall vegetation could begin shading the panels, making them inefficient. But more of a concern is the potential fire hazard presented by hectares of dry grass.
Solar farm owners have traditionally coped with this by mowing the area regularly, but it’s not easy to navigate a mower around the poles and panels.
But sheep are much better natural lawnmowers, able to fit into small crevices and nibble away no matter what the weather.
The American Solar Grazing Association estimates that around 80,000 sheep now graze more than 40,000 hectares across 500 solar panel sites in 27 states. This number indicates a tenfold increase in just two years.
While the USA might be heralding the advent of a new era in farming, here in Europe, we’ve been doing it for some time.
In 2023, Iberdrola announced it was installing a herd of 300 sheep in its photovoltaic parks in Portugal.
“It is positive for the solar farm, as it ensures the ecological maintenance of the land and reduces the risk of fires,” says Iberdrola. “It also benefits the animals who, in addition to access to food, find protection from the sun, rain and wind in the solar panels.”
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