Modern technology does best in a clean landscape. The infrastructure and vegetation don’t mix well.
In Massachusetts, solar farms are battling to control a growing problem under the panels.
Traditional mowers are no use in the tight spaces around the arrays, and there’s a risk of damaging the expensive wiring.
Sheep don’t care about that. They arrived at the solar farm looking for relief from the sun and ended up changing the farming game.
What are these unexpected guests doing beneath the high-tech arrays?
How basic landscaping is challenging solar farming
The old New England back roads of Massachusetts have a futuristic feel these days. Rows of shining, sleek solar arrays line the roads, sending clean power to thousands of homes.
But there’s a hidden problem under the glass and steel frames. Nature is giving pushback.
The rapid growth of grass and weeds is a major vegetation challenge for maintenance. And normal mowing is far from ideal.
For one thing, the machines struggle or fail in tight spaces. There’s also the risk of striking wiring, which would mean repairs, costs, and production downtime.
Plus, running mowing machines burns fossil fuels, which defeats the green purpose.
Many of the solar sites are 10 to 11 acres in size. That’s a lot of ground to cover.
But a flock of sheep with no regard for human problems saw the site as a refuge. The panels may support pesky plant growth, but to sheep, they’re the best umbrellas.
Did the sheep become another problem to solve?
Sheep-plus-solar: Can it work?
Researchers have realized that solar panels create unique microclimates under and around the panel arrays. Their bulky structures cast shadows, which reduce evaporation.
The result is increased moisture in the soil.
Grass and weeds love it, so they grow more prolifically under the infrastructure than they would under the sun.
Tests show that the vegetation growing under the panels contains significantly higher protein than open fields. The plant carpet remains lush throughout the season.
This is no good for site maintenance.
If prolific vegetation growth is the problem, adding natural fertilizer in the form of sheep droppings can’t be a good idea.
But there’s something else the sheep have to offer, and it’s transformed the situation into a win-win for everyone.
The livestock are now the workforce. How is their ‘pay’ actually money back in the farmer’s pocket?
Solar grazing: A brilliant example of agrivoltaics
Agrivoltaics is the genius pairing of agriculture and solar energy generation. In this case, the system is called solar grazing.
The livestock are thriving, and the green power is flowing. All because Massachusetts landowners found new ways to manage their land while fighting carbon emissions.
Companies like Solar Shepherd and local operations like Finicky Farm have introduced sheep to ground-mounted solar sites.
Their purpose is maintaining the vegetation, which they do brilliantly, according to Solar Shepherd. The plant life is kept between two and eight inches tall.
This is enough to avoid messing with the array infrastructure.
But it also eliminates mechanical mowing, saves money, prevents noise pollution, eliminates the need for chemical herbicides, and reduces fossil fuel burning.
The sheep have no problem getting around the panels without causing damage. They stay cool in the New England heat, drinking less than a quart of water a day.
The organic matter the sheep leave behind is rich in nutrients and boosts soil health, says the American Farmland Trust.
Value for farmers, sheep, solar developers, and the environment
The value for property owners is substantial. They get stable five-year contracts and lowered maintenance risks.
At the same time, local agriculturalists get access to premium land without high rentals. It is a clever, self-sustaining trade-off.
The livestock originally sought out the solar arrays, just looking for relief from the sun. But they completely paid back the favor by keeping the grass down.
In other parts of the world, cows are doing the same work.
This modern energy challenge found a perfect, centuries-old solution. What other green-plus-green innovations are going to be revealed as renewable power grows?