With the increase in solar productions, and solar parks springing up here and there, agricultural land is shrinking. As such agribusiness experts are finding a way to integrate solar farm and agricultural farm on same piece of land.
Solar farm and animal grazing field are very much compatible because both are usually large, free from tall vegetation, and need good amount of sunlight. For this reason many solar producers now lease their solar park to animal farmers for livestock razing.
However, not all livestock are good to be integrated in solar farm for grazing. Researches have revealed that sheep are must suitable owing to some factors.
Why Sheep?
There are quite number of reasons sheep appear perfect choice for grazing on solar farm:
- Sheep are shorter than most of other livestock like cattle and horses
- They pretty much eat most of forage, which helps to central vegetation on the solar farm
- Goats, which are as short as sheep, on the other hand, eat everything they see, which poses a great risk to solar panels, as they can chew the wires.
- The bigger animals like cattle and horses can rub themselves against the panels, thereby damaging the panels.
- Sheep mostly adopt to adverse weather conditions than other livestock. The panels may not provide enough protective shade against rains, sun, other weather conditions that may affect farm animals.
Todd Schmit, an associate professor of agribusiness, Cornell University said “cows and horses are to big, so they can do damage by running on the panels. Goats will eat the wires; sheep won’t. Go figure. Sheep are the perfect medium for this.”
How Solar Farm Grazing Works
Sheep do very well as the panels give shade from strong sunshine and shelter from rain. They are fenced in and very secure.
The sheep have access to forage to feed on, solar farm owners have their vegetation controlled without human, machine labor or herbicides — which may find it difficult to reach underneath panels — the farmers get paid.
This is most practiced in in the United States, Canada and other American countries. American Solar Association (ASGA) show that this practice started since 2017, and still expanding. Report by American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) says Empire State presently has 900 acres of solar power-generating land being grazes.
Economic Benefits of Sheep Grazing on Solar Farm
Solar park is good for many reasons
- the sheep do very well as the panels give shade from strong sunshine and shelter from rain. They are fenced in and very secure.
- Increases both solar and animal production. Currently, not much lamb is or mutton is produced in countries like US, Canada. About half of meat consumed in US is imported from Australia and New Zealand, according to USDA. Raising sheep in US would bolster the country’s economy.
- It helps maintain the ecosystem