The booming solar industry has found an unlikely mascot in sheep as large-scale solar farms crop up across the U.S. and in the plain fields of Texas. In Milam County, outside Austin, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country, capable of generating 900 megawatts of power across 4,000 acres (1,618 hectares).
How do they manage all that grass? With the help of about 3,000 sheep, which are better suited than lawnmowers to fit between small crevices and chew away rain or shine.
The proliferation of sheep on solar farms is part of a broader trend — solar grazing — that has exploded alongside the solar industry.
Wouldn’t it be cheaper to simply not plant any grass? Lay down a heavy layer of gravel and call it a day.
Cheaper, maybe, but gravel is a bit shit for biodiversity and flood mitigation.
That only helps for a while and is quite expensive at utility scale installations. In addition, there are studies that vegetation helps keeping the underside of the solar panels cooler and thus increases the efficiency by a small percentage.
I wouldn’t think so. Rock is expensive and would only last so long. Grass helps sustain an ecosystem while preventing erosion.