When one of the world’s largest solar plants was installed near his home, sheep herder JR Howard never imagined it would end up being a golden opportunity for the sheep business.
Context. Despite being the main oil producer in the United States, Texas has made one of the country’s strongest bets on renewable energy to the point of surpassing California in solar production.
In Milam County, just outside of Austin, is the fifth largest solar photovoltaic park in the world. Owned by SB Energy, this installation covers 1,600 hectares of rural land in solar panels, generating up to 900 W of clean energy power.
3,000 sheep. Under the shadow of hundreds of thousands of solar panels, not only insects that were previously threatened proliferate, like bees. Grass also grows healthily, which requires maintenance.
The solar industry tends to rely on gas-powered lawnmowers to remove grass, which defeats the fundamental purpose of renewable energy. But SB Energy opted for a more sustainable and traditional solution for the maintenance of its land: a flock of 3,000 sheep.
why sheep. In addition to the economic benefits, sheep reach grasses that lawnmowers can’t reach, such as those that grow in small crevices. No less important: the sheep happily chew whatever day it is, rain or shine.
But the proliferation of grazing animals on solar farms is not unique to this Texas facility, but is part of a broader trend in the agrivoltaic industry sometimes called “solar grazing.”
an opportunity. To JR Howard, solar grazing has changed his life. His sheep farming business has been industrialized and he now has 8,000 animals and 27 employees. An image that is repeated in 27 states in the United States, according to the American Solar Grazing Association, which reports 60 new agrivoltaic projects with grazing by small herbivores.
The solar industry is a golden opportunity for sheep herders, who have seen the wool and breeding business in general decline. Agrivoltaics makes it possible to take advantage of sunny land both to generate electricity and to maintain livestock, herds of goats and sheep or grow food.
Image | AgriSolar Clearinghouse
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