How sheep make solar farms more efficient

On a stretch of land in Virginia, a flock of sheep roam beneath rows of solar panels, happily grazing on the grass. The sheep aren’t there by accident—in fact, they’re performing an important job. 

The practice of using livestock to maintain the land on solar farms by letting them graze and keep vegetation under control is known as agrivoltaics. This form of solar lambscaping is becoming an increasingly popular practice. Take the recent partnership between local Virginia farmer Marcus Gray and Dominion Energy, a solar provider that operates in eight U.S. states.

Gray's sheep graze on about 80 acres of Dominion’s solar farm each week, and are then herded onto another section of the property to do the job all over again, all while enjoying their lunch. 

“We’re very excited about these projects. Combining solar and agriculture is an ideal pairing,” Dominion Energy spokesperson Tim Eberly told EnergySage. “We’re all in on solar energy as we make the clean energy transition, so it makes perfect sense to find other uses for solar sites that are environmentally friendly and contribute to the agricultural community.”

While the farmers get to feed their sheep for free, Dominion Energy gets complimentary yard maintenance. As of April 2024, the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA) estimates that more than 100,000 acres of solar sites in the U.S. are being grazed by over 80,000 sheep.

Solar grazing is a promising practice because it’s scalable: take SB Energy, a solar platform that operates the fifth-largest solar project in the U.S.—and does it with the help of 3,000 sheep. The sheep they employ keep the weeds at bay on a large 4,000-acre property, and they never get called to HR.

They’re not just cute. When it comes to solar grazing and agrivoltaics, although there are other candidates for the position—think goats, horses, cows, and pigs—sheep are ideally suited for the job because they don’t chew on electrical wiring and stay off the equipment. 

Plus, sheep can graze in hard-to-reach places that humans and large lawn mowers struggle to maintain. Their natural grazing eliminates the need for gas-powered mowing at solar sites, reducing harmful emissions while keeping maintenance costs low.

"Their primary purpose is to eat the grass and vegetation, an environmentally friendly alternative to lawnmowers," Eberly told EnergySage. When the sheep eat the grass it prevents it from growing too high and obstructing the solar panels from the sun, which is another key benefit, he said.

Beyond emissions, solar grazing also enhances soil health. As sheep eat their way across the field, they leave natural fertilizer behind them. “It’s fantastic because the sheep also deposit organic matter in the soil and keep it healthy,” he said.

The use of sheep on solar farms continues to gain traction across the U.S, as states like Texas, Indiana, Virginia, and Minnesota have welcomed the practice with open arms. 

“Two of the largest obstacles for anybody getting into farming or growing their operation is access to land and capital with which to operate,” Gray told local news station WDBJ7. “Solar grazing eliminates both of those barriers.”

Solar farm operators and farmers from at least 45 states can connect with each other through associations like the ASGA, which is raising awareness about the benefits of agrivoltaics. Overall, solar grazing is an efficient, eco-friendly solution that combines renewable energy with sustainable farming practices in an unexpected and adorable way.