Have you seen sheep grazing around solar arrays and wondered if they just wandered there by accident? It’s no accident, and you’ll likely see more sheep grazing. Why?
It’s a win-win for local landowners, solar project owners and the environment.
“I can’t wait to use our dual-purpose land to grow meat and wool under the solar panels that are producing clean energy,” said Olivia Halbur, a fourth-generation family farm owner.
Here are some reasons why more sheep are grazing at solar projects around the country:
- Vegetation management. Sheep can rotate which sections they graze or roam the entire array area, allowing for savings of up to on operations costs associated with mowing.
- More productive sheep. A from 2023 found that sheep with access to solar panels grazed more and for longer durations than on native ranges. The solar panels protect sheep from climate conditions. They also increase shade and soil moisture for better vegetation growth.
- Improved nutrients. that grazing improves soil quality through increased soil carbon storage that can help plant productivity in the future.
It’s easy to see why this is becoming a more common practice in Wisconsin and Iowa, and another way energy companies can sustainably assist with the transition to a more diverse energy mix.
The Ledgeview Solar Project near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a flock of five dozen Texel sheep, known for being docile, stocky and lean, grazing the pasture beneath the panels.
Currently, the American Solar Grazing Association the 80,000 sheep graze at roughly 500 solar projects across 27 states. Wisconsin and Iowa are starting to experiment with sheep grazing, as well as other agrivoltaics research.
Learn more about our progress at alliantenergy.com/cleanenergyblueprint.