- Renewables developer Lightsource bp says a study of the quality of wool produced by sheep grazing among the panels at its 174 MW Wellington Solar Farm in New South Wales, Australia, highlights the potential of solar farms to complement agriculture without compromising productivity.
The Wellington project, situated on 320 hectares of grazed agricultural land about 50 km south-east of the city of Dubbo, has been home to a flock of about 1,700 Merino sheep over the past three years.
A study, conducted by environmental services company EMM Consulting in collaboration with agribusiness group Elders Rural Services, has compared the wool of sheep grazed within the solar arrays to those in traditional pastures.
“The findings suggest that the co-location of solar farming with sheep grazing is not negatively impacting wool production, even in the case of pre-existing high-quality standards,” Lightsource bp said in a statement. “Some parameters even indicate an improvement in wool quality, although conclusive benefits require further long-term measurement.”
Emilien Simonot, head of agrivoltaics at Lightsource bp, said the results show that it is possible to bring together a renewable energy project with traditional livestock management techniques to produce benefits for both enterprises.
“These results are very encouraging and highlight the potential for solar farms to complement agricultural practices,” he said. “By integrating sheep farming with solar energy production, we can achieve dual benefits of sustainable energy together with agricultural output.”
Farmer Tony Inder said the benefits of running his sheep under the solar panels have been a lot better than he had anticipated.
“We’ve found that any amount of rain is beneficial because there’s no gutter effect with the panels, so we’re continually getting growth,” he said. “Our stocking rate is also going up and our wool quality has increased significantly, mainly, I think, because variable rain means our sheep can go from a lush feed to dried grass to standing hay up to six times a year, which means you can get breaks in your wool production and the tensile strength can be slightly weaker.”
Inder said tests show that fleece from his panel-grazing sheep is about 20% superior to the normal product, measured by wool growth, weight and microns – the fiber diameter considered the most important of the fiber’s traits.
Sheep grazing among solar module rows is also delivering benefits for the project owner, with Lightsource bp now only needing to mow the solar farm twice a year.
Brendan Clarke, interim head of environmental planning Australia and NZ at Lightsource bp, said the study shows that it is possible to combine traditional agricultural industries with new renewable sectors to maximize land use.
“Finding ways for agriculture and clean energy to work together is crucial for a more sustainable future,” he said. “The promising results from this study indicate that we are on the right path, and working closely with farmers to grow our knowledge in this area is paramount.
Author: Dave Carrol
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
