Agrivoltaics With Sheep & Solar Benefit All — Especially The Sheep!

The only people opposed to agrivotaics are nattering nabobs of negativism who claim the sight of solar panels ruins the bucolic nature of farmland. Oddly, they also think fracking rigs that pump millions of gallons of polluted water underground are a beautiful sight. Go figure. Farmers love agrivoltaics because it puts money in their pockets to pay their mortgages and equipment loans. Local governments love agrivoltaics because they generate more tax revenue from the same land. And sheep love agrivoltaics because it makes them healthier and improves the quality of their wool.

BP acquired solar developer Lightsource in 2024. Prior to that acquisition, Lightsource had conducted several agrivoltaics studies involving sheep and discovered some interesting things about how the animals benefited from being in the presence of solar panels. Initially, the sheep were introduced to several solar installations simply because they love to eat the vegetation that grows beneath the panels, which saves solar farm operators money. In addition, sheep are just the right size for getting under and around the solar panels once they are installed.

But over time, a curious extra benefit emerged. In studies, sheep that had lived among solar panels were happier and healthier than those that didn’t. The solar panels helped keep them cool and they spent more time sheltering, resting, and grazing. In addition, sheep dung acts as a natural fertilizer that rejuvenates the soil and enhances biodiversity. “Sheep grazing on solar farms is a great example of dual land use. One that provides both food (for the sheep and for us) and fuel (solar energy), through clean energy, healthy land, and a boost for family farms,” the company says.

An Agrivoltaics Study In Australia

A study conducted at a Lightsourcebp solar farm in Wellington, Australia, followed more than 1700 sheep, half of which were raised in a traditional environment and half of which were allowed to roam beneath the solar panels. The study results showed 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. Some parameters even indicated an improvement in wool quality, although conclusive benefits require further long term measurement.”

The findings challenge conventional assumptions about livestock welfare in modified environments, according to a report this week by the Farmingdale Observer in upstate New York. Sheep grazing between solar arrays showed no negative health impacts. Instead, researchers documented enhanced wool quality with increased fiber strength and growth rates. The solar infrastructure created microhabitats that benefited both the animals and the underlying vegetation.

“The promising results indicate we’re on the right track,” explained Brendan Clarke, acting environmental planning manager at Lightsourcebp for Australia and New Zealand. “Close collaboration with farmers remains essential as we continue to expand our knowledge in this field.”

Another Study In Pennsylvania

Lightsourcebp has conducted similar research at its Nittany Solar installation in Pennsylvania, which supplies zero-emissions electricity to Penn State University under a 25-year power purchase agreement. Spread across three sites, the solar farm produces 70 MW of clean power. Local farmers graze their sheep across all three sites. Pennsylvania farmers graze sheep across all three sites, which were seeded with a specially formulated mix formulated by the American Solar Grazing Association in partnership with Ernst Conservation Seeds and Pollinator Service that supports good nutrition for sheep while prioritizing flowers and plants that attract pollinators. Seed companies have a sense of humor, apparently, as the seed mix is named “Fuzz and Buzz.”

As sheep graze, they trample manure, urine, seeds, and plant matter into the earth. The plant matter decomposes and — together with the animal waste — fertilizes and rejuvenates the soil. Healthier soil grows healthier vegetation for the sheep to eat, and the cycle continues, the latest report explains. To measure those impacts, the ASGA researchers collected data on soil carbon, soil compaction, the variety of species, plant nutrition, and other environmental factors before and after the 2022 and 2023 grazing seasons.

On March 31, 2025, the findings by the ASGA were published. One of the first studies to report soil testing methodology for operational solar farms, it found the soil beneath the solar panels at sites where sheep were allowed to graze “contained more organic matter than at non-grazed solar farms and had a more neutral pH to support healthier plants.”

The report emphasized that “organic matter is a critical component of healthy and resilient soil. It helps retain moisture in the soil and reduces soil compaction. It stores carbon and other nutrients that help with plant growth, supporting a more stable ecosystem.” It also found that vegetation harvested from beneath solar panels had a significantly higher protein content and better digestibility than vegetation from open spaces on the same sites. “This is potentially attributable to the beneficial shading the panels provide.”

The ASGA study is the first to use a US Department of Agriculture scorecard to assess pasture at solar farms, looking at ten metrics of pasture health — plant diversity, soil compaction, livestock concentration, and more. A field with a high “pasture condition score” (PCS) is a quality place for raising livestock, the association reports. Most metrics increased between 2022 and 2023, indicating improved site conditions. The overall PCS scores grew by 3%. While this change is not considered statistically significant by mathematical standards, ASGA said, “The increase in 2023 shows that grazing may have the potential to improve solar site pasture quality over time.”

The operative information here is not that the results were marginally better, it is that there was no measurable decline. Add in the economic benefits to farmers, who can a.) rent out their sheep to solar farms to earn extra income, b.) generate more income from their land by leasing it for solar panels, and c.) reduce operating costs for solar developers since they no longer have to spend more money for mowing services, resulting in a win/win/win for all.

The Power Of Pollinators

But wait, there’s more! Lost in all the scientific jargon is an analysis of the economic benefits of promoting an ecosystem that supports more pollinators. These tiny creatures get little credit for the important role they play in all plant life. Without them, almost nothing grows, which means no food for farm animals — or people. People who oppose agrivoltaics are mostly ideologues — paid agitators pumped up by fossil fuel apologists.

Do you ever read about fracking companies that plant vegetation that supports pollinators? If you were a sheep farmer, would you graze your animals where millions of gallons of poisonous water has been used? If you are concerned for the natural beauty of farmland, do you like the toxic mess left behind after the fracking equipment departs to find another patch of ground to destroy? Logic and common sense seem to be in short supply for the anti-solar crowd.