US Company Recruits 5,000 Sheep for its Pacific NW Solar Projects

olar energy is not what it used to be; now it's more than just a bunch of panels on rooftops or massive solar farms in the middle of nowhere. Today, it is smartly woven into a multitude of real-world situations, thanks to innovative approaches that maximize its benefits. Take, for instance, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV),  where efficient solar panels essentially become a part of a building's architecture, like windows and facades. Plus, solar technology is steadily finding its place in vehicles like cars, buses, and even boats.

However, solar engineers focus not only on urban areas nowadays. They are now looking into the potential of agrivoltaics—a concept marrying efficient solar energy with farming, in which high output solar panels are set above agricultural fields.

One of the most significant agrivoltaic projects has just been unveiled in the Pacific Northwest. Let's plunge into this fascinating initiative and see the genuine benefits that solar grazing brings to the US renewable energy sector.

What’s Solar Grazing All About?

Solar grazing is a clever way to use land for both solar panels and livestock, most commonly sheep. Here, the sheep play a critical role in curbing the vegetation, ensuring the panels function optimally. The panels, in turn, provide a cool, shaded area for the sheep, leading to better health and increased productivity. This strategy makes brilliant use of land, seamlessly blending these two distinct activities into a perfectly balanced system.

How It Works

Though solar grazing does look simple, in actuality it requires careful planning and proper management. Let's have a swift peek into how it's done:

1. Putting Up Solar Panels: The solar panels are mounted high enough that sheep can walk underneath, normally between 0.8 and 1.5 meters off the ground. This leveling keeps the panels clear of damage by the animals yet provides adequate space for sheep to move around beneath.
2. Managing the Grazing: It's important for farmers to vigilantly steer the movement of their sheep to ensure equal grazing and prevent overuse of specific areas. This is typically done by splitting the grazing area into separate zones and periodically rotating the sheep to keep the pasture balanced.
3. Monitoring and Upkeep:  Keeping a careful, regular watch is necessary to ensure the solar panels are undamaged and the sheep are healthy and well-nourished. Duties include making sure the panels are functioning correctly, managing the water supply for the sheep, and checking the fencing is efficiently keeping the sheep in their grazing zones.

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A Look at Avangrid’s Bold Project

Avangrid, a pioneer in green energy and a part of the Iberdrola Group, has initiated a groundbreaking venture in the Pacific Northwest. Originally, a trial project was launched at Pachwáywit Fields - the largest working solar farm in Gilliam County, Oregon. Here, the facility serviced Portland General Electric's Green Future Impact members, mostly comprising large commercial and municipal clients seeking to hit their green targets. Inspired by the small-scale project's triumph, Avangrid scaled it up into a full-on operation by spring and launched a similar venture at Lund Hill solar farm, the largest solar facility in Klickitat County, Washington.

During the spring's peak, the two sites were filled with more than 5,000 grazing sheep. They are the property of Cameron Krebs, a fifth-generation rancher based in Oregon. For more than a century now, the Krebs family have been closely working together with Oregon's Pendleton Woolen Mills, supplying them with high-quality wool fiber. Aside from providing a practical approach to vegetation management, Krebs' sheep also play their part in a sustainable agricultural economy through their production of wool and lamb.

Here’s how Krebs describes the learning experience of the project: “There has been a significant learning curve, but it is fascinating to watch the sheep learn to expertly move under and around the solar panels to eat the vegetation. They are consuming four to five pounds of dry matter per day. Another way to think about that is they are consuming four to five pounds of carbon and turning it into food and fiber or returning it to the soil naturally. By reducing the total vegetation on site, we’re significantly reducing the fuel load and fire danger as we move into the hot, dry summer.”

Sheep graze at Pachwáywit Fields solar farm in Oregon. Source: Business Wire

Why Solar Grazing is a Win-Win

It's likely you have already figured out that these agrivoltaic projects aren't just for efficient land use. The reality is, combining sheep grazing and solar installations offers a wealth of benefits:

• Helping the Environment: The natural way in which sheep graze means less dependency on herbicides and mechanical mowing. This in turn reduces the carbon footprint linked to maintaining solar farms. By eating the vegetation, sheep also help to control overgrowth which has the potential to spark fires during the dry seasons.
• Improved Soil Health: Studies have found that letting sheep wander and graze under solar panels can help increase carbon capture in the soil by up to 80%, significantly improving its fertility and structure.
• Financial Edge: For local farmers, grazing contracts mean a new source of income. It's a smart move to diversify, helping farms stay resilient and profitable.
• Operational Efficiency: Here's a cool fact - sheep are better at navigating around solar panels compared to large mowing machinery. They keep the greenery in check right up to the edges of the arrays. Plus, it saves on the labor and maintenance costs often associated with traditional vegetation management.
• Animal Wellbeing: The comforting shade created by solar panels delivers a cooler micro-environment for the sheep. This approach lessens heat stress and uplifts their general well-being. Consequently, this positively impacts the growth and productivity of the livestock.
• Benefits to Local Communities: With a focus on agricultural communities, companies like Avangrid are supporting local ranchers and encouraging a self-sustaining, eco-friendly economy. By teaming up with local businesses like Pendleton Woolen Mills, they're boosting the regional financial landscape and building long-term relationships.

What’s Next for Avangrid’s Agrivoltaics?

Looking forward, there's a quite promising future for Avangrid's solar grazing projects. This company would continue the usage of sheep in both the Pachwáywit Fields and Lund Hill facilities to manage vegetation through spring and fall months. In addition, they are also actively investigating prospects for replicating this quite unique practice within more facilities across their portfolio.

Dustin Ervin, Avangrid's senior solar manager for Oregon and Washington, feels positive about the outcome. He said, "We are proud to have taken this from concept to reality, and I look forward to seeing how green energy companies begin to forge sustainable partnerships like what we’ve built with Cameron."

Recent Developments in Solar Grazing in the USA

In 2024, the trend of integrating sheep into solar farms, known as solar grazing, continues to gain traction in the United States. Avangrid's initiative in the Pacific Northwest is a prime example, where they have employed 5,000 sheep to manage vegetation at their solar facilities.

This innovative approach not only enhances the efficiency of solar farms by preventing overgrowth but also contributes to the local agricultural economy through wool and lamb production.

The sheep's natural grazing reduces the need for herbicides and mechanical mowing, thereby lowering the carbon footprint of solar farm maintenance. Furthermore, the shade provided by the solar panels creates a cooler environment for the sheep, improving their welfare and productivity.Looking ahead, Avangrid plans to expand its solar grazing projects, with a focus on replicating this model across more facilities.

The success of these projects highlights the potential for solar grazing to become a standard practice in the renewable energy sector. By fostering partnerships with local ranchers and businesses, companies like Avangrid are not only advancing sustainable energy practices but also supporting local economies and promoting ecological stewardship.

As more companies adopt this model, solar grazing could play a significant role in the future of renewable energy in the US.

The Big Picture

Who would have thought that sheep were going to be part of the renewable energy movement? As we turn grazing fields into energy-producing ones, we are not just generating power; instead, making a whole sustainability ecosystem that intertwines animals' welfare, community care, and ecological stewardship.

Pioneering the field, Avangrid is showing the world just how effective agrovoltaics can be and highlighting its potential to be employed on a grand scale. Should other similar companies jump on the bandwagon, solar grazing may become part of the usual renewable energy plans from coast to coast in the US. This only proves that sometimes some of the best solutions come by putting new with old in some of the most surprising and creative ways possible.

Sources:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240723512197/en/