Solar panel sheep farm trial ‘a complete win-win’
2 years, 6 months ago

Solar panel sheep farm trial ‘a complete win-win’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free weekly IndyTech newsletter delivered straight to your inbox Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter Sign up to our free IndyTech newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Sheep farmers in Australia have reported that their wool has improved in both quality and quantity since installing arrays of solar panels on their properties. A four year trial in New South Wales was described as a “complete win-win” by local farmers, with the panels providing shelter for the sheep and grass, and the sheep grazing any foliage that might block sunlight from reaching the panels. Higher quantities of available grass for grazing have been reported in previous studies, with researchers in Oregan finding that photovoltaic arrays increased biomass production by 90 per cent. “We’re starting to get a really good database of studies showing how the co-location of agriculture and photovoltaics can be done successfully,” said Dr Madeline Taylor, an energy policy and landholder rights researcher.

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History of this topic

A project aims to show it's possible to harvest food and green energy on the same land
3 months ago

A project aims to show it's possible to harvest food and green energy on the same land

NPR  

A project aims to show it's possible to harvest food and green energy on the same land Green energy advocates are promoting wind and solar facilities' compatibility with grazing animals, hoping to counter local opposition to new wind and solar projects. SAM FUQUA: Rolling hills of grass are most of what you see from rancher Ed Prosser's patio in Wyoming, …

As demand soars, British solar makes hay while the sun shines
2 years, 5 months ago

As demand soars, British solar makes hay while the sun shines

The Telegraph  

Herefordshire's "golden valley" has been soaking up its fair share of sun beaming onto England this week. For many farmers, there is now "no comparison" between the money made from growing crops or rearing animals and what they could bring in from carpeting the land in solar panels, he explains. Developers are pushing into the UK's solar sector in the …

Solar farm trial shows improved fleece on merino sheep grazed under panels
2 years, 6 months ago

Solar farm trial shows improved fleece on merino sheep grazed under panels

ABC  

Sheep grazing under solar panels at farms in NSW's Central West have produced better wool and more of it in the four years since the projects began, according to growers. Key points: Sheep grazing on solar farm trials shows an increase in wool quantity and quality There are calls for more research on the co-location of agriculture and renewable energy …

Bees, sheep, crops: Solar developers tout multiple benefits
3 years, 1 month ago

Bees, sheep, crops: Solar developers tout multiple benefits

Associated Press  

MONTICELLO, Minnesota — Silflower was among native plants that blanketed the vast North American prairie until settlers developed farms and cities. “There’s lots of spaces where solar could be integrated with really innovative uses of land,” said Brendan O’Neill, a University of Michigan environmental scientist who’s monitoring how planting at a new 1,752-panel facility in Cadillac, Michigan, stores carbon. Solar …

Trial of sheep grazing under solar panels shows early positive results
4 years, 3 months ago

Trial of sheep grazing under solar panels shows early positive results

ABC  

A trial of sheep grazing on a solar farm in the central-west of New South Wales is hoping to shed light on the impact of sheep around solar panels. Key points: 120 wethers have been grazing on the Parkes Solar Farm since mid-2019 Early results after the first 12 months of a four-year-trial have shown positive results The trial hopes …

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