Agrivoltaics: Why Sheep and Broccoli are the Secret to Supercharging Solar Power

The truth is, solar farms are not great for farmers. They use up the best land and displace wildlife. And yet, a whole new world of agrivoltaics is opening up – solar panels and farms that work together. One of the strangest cases of this phenomenon is a farm in Iowa that’s putting the latest technology together with the oldest agriculture.

It turns out that sheep, solar panels and broccoli are meant to be together. At the Iowa Agrivoltaic Research and Demonstration Project, solar panels sit on ground that’s been regularly mowed by sheep. The sheep get the use of a field and some vegetables, the solar panels get some fertilizer and the farmer gets a nice return on their investment. But there’s an added twist. The sheep are mowing a special breed of broccoli, one that grows super-tall and acts like a big sunshade, keeping the broccoli under the solar panels from getting scorched by the sun.

All the way up the rows, the broccoli looks like it’s competing for space with the sheep. But underneath, the solar panels and the broccoli are pulling together to make electricity. For Solar Panel Installation Bristol, visit //redbridgeandsons.co.uk/solar-pv-panels/solar-panel-installation-bristol/

Of course, there’s one big problem with putting solar panels next to farms. Weed control is a nightmare. If a field of solar panels is covered in grass and weeds, they become useless. And weed control is usually done the old-fashioned way – by mowing them down with a noisy, diesel-fuel-burning lawn mower that spews out exhaust and oil into the environment. So it’s a good thing that sheep are pretty good at mowing.

At the Iowa Agrivoltaic Research and Demonstration Project, shepherds move the sheep from field to field with a big van that runs on biofuels. The sheep get all the grass they can eat and the shepherds get paid. But by far the best part of the agrivoltaics project are the vegetables. Broccoli, lettuce and berry bushes are all crops that are very sensitive to sunlight. Most farms grow these in greenhouses or under black plastic sheeting that reduces light but keeps the crops growing. But the solar panels at the agrivoltaic project are blocking the sun in just the right amount to keep these plants growing. The plants get the light they need and the solar panels get all the sun they need to make electricity.

The plants also get extra water, since the shade keeps it from evaporating out of the soil. And since water is one of the most expensive things in farming, that’s a huge advantage. It’s also good for solar panels.

The agrivoltaic project in Iowa has already shown that it can make more electricity than a traditional solar farm, without any special modifications. It’s a big win for farmers and for the environment.