In Texas, ranch owners and the solar power industry have come together in what could be the future of pasture farming.
The project, a collaboration between Texas Solar Sheep LLC and Enel North America, is already underway and breaking records every day.
Instead of competing for land use, sheep herders have presented the perfect solution to one of solar power’s biggest problems. Maintaining acres and acres of solar panels can be a tough task, especially since the use of mowers to cut the grass surrounding the panels has been shown to regularly damage the infrastructure, severed wires causing issues for the energy generation network.
And though they’re working hard, the sheep see plenty of benefits too. Free to roam around the solar field, the sheep can use the panels to shelter from the midday heat or the pouring rain. They have all the grass they could possibly want to snack on, and in helping us to cut carbon emissions – both from petrol mowers, and coal power plants too – they can feel pretty darn good about themselves!
In an article on IFLScience, the average day of a solar grazing sheep is explained, and it sounds like a pretty nice way to live:
“The sheep can enjoy lounging in the shade of the solar panels on hot days. In return, they reduce the need for herbicides and fossil fuel-powered mowers to control vegetation, their manure fertilizes the soil, and they can carry wildflower seeds in their wool that grow in their hoofprints. They also improve soil health – Enel has already tried out solar grazing in Minnesota, and reports that some of their sites had improvements in organic matter of over 200 percent.”
This seemingly quirky idea is actually a new cornerstone of a modern and highly successful industry. Kevin Richardson, Outreach Director at the American Solar Grazing Association, explained how sheep are helping farming move into the future:
“Solar grazing is at the forefront of a booming agrivoltaics industry, and we are seeing more and more leaders in the solar industry investing in long-lasting partnerships with farmers and creating new opportunities for American agriculture.”
Sheep herding may have been seen as a traditional, maybe even outdated way of life. However, this record breaking project signals a new, sustainable income stream for the humble Texas ranch, futureproofing the career path for the long haul.
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