Posted on 06/02/2022 8:03:06 AM PDT by SJackson
Flat, large, and gets a good amount of sun — These are the three greatest indicators of a land that is suitable for placing solar panels. Simultaneously, livestock thrives on these lands as well, which is why solar producers often lease farmlands to set up their operations.
Solar power can provide environmental benefits, but at the cost of diminished agriculture production. The solution, it seems, may be to bring out the sheep.
In the four years since solar sites were installed at farms in New South Wales, Australia, sheep grazing under the solar panels have produced better wool and more of it, according to growers cited in an initial ABC report.
Farmers described the arrangement as a "complete win-win" situation as the sheep helped keep grass and weeds down so that the panels wouldn't lose their efficiency, while the panels prevented the soil from drying out and provided shade.
Moreover, according to some of the growers, sheep grazing under solar farms resulted in an increase in wool quality and quantity.
Grazing sheep under solar panels As part of trials with the Parkes Show Society, farmer and grazier Tom Warren, for example, leases some parts of his land to a solar farm on which about 250 Merino ewes and wethers graze among solar panels. He stated that leasing his land to the solar farm and grazing his sheep there increased his income, with the carrying capacity of the land also increasing by roughly 25 percent.
While he hasn't noticed an increase in wool quantity, the quality has improved, he said. "It'll be because of the conditions the sheep are living in," Warren said to ABC. "It's relatively clean, without burrs, without dust. There's very, very little contamination of the wool and they're protected from the sun as well."
Moreover, his herd was able to graze almost all through the drought years, since water condensing on the solar panels in the mornings and trickling down to the soil kept some of the pastures green.
Meanwhile, a wool broker named Graeme Ostini, who has been running merino wethers at a solar farm, stated that grazing the animals under solar panels gave him much more wool.
"It is actually quite astonishing. Some of the sheep look fantastic," Ostini said. "They're growing exponentially and the wool cuts are in the top 5 per cent in the district."
Backing trials with large-scale research These trials need to be backed with numerous large-scale studies to find out whether co-location of agriculture and photovoltaics can be achieved with minimal environmental effects. Then, more studies can be conducted on the coexistence of solar and wind with farming as well.
Meanwhile, scientists are working on agrivoltaics, which is where solar technology meets traditional farming. In these systems, solar panels are installed at a higher level so that plants can grow underneath them, maximizing land productivity.
A University of Arizona study based on a detailed investigation of incoming sunlight, air temperature, and relative humidity found that current croplands are the “land covers with the greatest solar PV power potential".
still trying to pull the wool over our eyes... hehehe
May not help much in the summer but if power shortages occur in winter maybe the "better" wool will keep you warm.
That was so ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-d it was funny!
Doesn’t the grass under the panels DIE , it does under my trees
But the shade from the solar panels reduces the energy available to grow the grass for the sheep to eat.
Similarly, deer and elk and such in the far northern latitudes LOVE the warm oil pipelines.
Does it make the lamb chops taste better?
There is nothing wrong whatsoever with trying to fuse herding with modern technology.
I’ve seen what I was told were ethnic Basques who immigrated to the US/Colorado with their sheep and goats. (I hope it wasn’t illegally but in any case I had no control over the situation.) Some of them rented out their flocks as weed control to road and railway offices. It’s actually a very successful plan and saves the state money as well as being eco-friendly. *scrunches down*
Isn’t there flatulence harmful to the environment? We should put in anal balloon gadgets that capture gas and let solids pass through, eh! Isn’t science wonderful.
there = their
why do we need more wool if the earth is getting warmer all the time?
We all can’t be goat ropers.
Try planting any type of grain of grazing larger animals who would use these panels as backrubs.
I remain sceptical.
There are goat rental companies where it’s allowed. 8-12 goats “mow” about an acre a month. Good deal for the solar farms. Not as good as coyotes and other predators, who eat windfarm dead birds for free.
Indeed you just killed their sales pitch call for another meeting.
Or “may” not
Or “may” not
“grazing larger animals who would use these panels as backrubs.”
Not only backrubs, chewing on wires. I’m replacing all of the wiring on a utility trailer that my goats decided to tear up and in some cases, eat.
WOW! Even more reasons to cover all available acreage with solar panels. NOT!.
rammed that one through...
good one... ewe sly one you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.