6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields

Carrie Klein | Source: Canary Media | Posted 08/19/2024

The largest solar grazing project in the U.S. will reduce mowing costs and emissions — and make for some happy sheep. JR Howard of Texas Solar Sheep can’t buy sheep fast enough. He supplies them to solar farms, where their grazing keeps grass short for less than the cost of mowing it. Demand for his animals has skyrocketed over the past few years as more and more large solar installations are being built. Now Howard is scrambling to fulfill his biggest order yet: for 6,000 sheep, which will be put to work grazing eight Texas solar fields run by Enel North America.

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As the demand for large solar installations continues to rise, JR Howard of Texas Solar Sheep is experiencing a surge in business supplying sheep for grazing at solar farms. Howard is now facing the challenge of fulfilling a massive order of 6,000 sheep for Enel North America to graze on eight Texas solar fields. This practice of combining solar panels with agriculture, known as agrivoltaics, benefits both farmers and ecosystems.

Using sheep for vegetation maintenance at solar farms has proven to be a cost-effective and sustainable solution compared to traditional mowing. Enel North America's innovative approach of deploying sheep for grazing not only helps in maintaining the solar fields but also improves soil quality, reduces fossil fuel use, and promotes biodiversity by allowing native plants to thrive. The sheep themselves benefit from the shade of solar panels, requiring less water as they graze.

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Source Link: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/6-000-sheep-will-soon-be-grazing-on-10-00-acres-of-texas-solar-fields

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6,000 sheep will soon be grazing on 10,000 acres of Texas solar fields

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