Sheep Among Solar Panels: A Surprising Ecological Synergy for the Future

In a groundbreaking 2025 study, researchers have uncovered remarkable ecological and agricultural benefits in an unconventional partnership—sheep grazing among solar panels. Known as agrivoltaism, this dual-use land management strategy integrates livestock farming with solar energy production, offering promising solutions to sustainability challenges. Not only does this practice reduce maintenance costs for solar farms, but sheep in these environments also experience notable improvements in health, wool quality, and overall well-being.

The Experiment: A Three-Year Research Endeavor

A large-scale study at the Wellington Solar Farm in New South Wales, Australia, sought to evaluate the impact of solar farm environments on livestock. The project, led by Lightsourcebp, in collaboration with EMM Consulting and Elders Rural Services, involved 1,700 Merino sheep divided into two distinct groups: one grazing in traditional open pastures and the other inhabiting the spaces between solar panel arrays.

Scientists monitored various health indicators, vegetation growth patterns, and wool fiber quality over three years. Initial concerns revolved around whether limited direct sunlight or possible electromagnetic interference would negatively affect sheep. However, the results proved overwhelmingly positive:

Enhanced Thermal Comfort: The solar panels provided much-needed shade during scorching temperatures, lowering the risk of heat stress and dehydration.
Improved Vegetation Quality: The soil beneath the panels retained more moisture, fostering lusher and nutrient-dense grasses, which led to a richer diet for grazing sheep.
Reduced Parasite Load: The altered microclimate underneath the solar arrays seemed to discourage harmful parasites, improving overall livestock health.
Superior Wool Quality: Researchers noted denser, stronger wool fibers among sheep raised in agrivoltaic conditions, likely due to the regulated environment and improved nutrition.

Brendan Clarke, Acting Environmental Planning Lead for Lightsourcebp in Australia and New Zealand, emphasized the significance of these findings:

“The promising results indicate we are on the right path, and it is vital to work closely with farmers to deepen our knowledge in this field.”

Agrivoltaism: A Global Solution?

This research supports earlier studies conducted by INRAE (France’s National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment) in 2024. In a smaller-scale experiment involving 24 ewes over two years, scientists observed similar benefits, including increased feed availability and improved animal welfare. The French study not only confirmed that the presence of solar panels created a more favorable microclimate for grazing livestock but also highlighted improvements in the sheep’s overall behavior and stress levels. Researchers noted that the animals exhibited calmer grazing patterns and spent more time resting in shaded areas beneath the panels, suggesting a reduction in heat stress during warmer months. Additionally, the vegetation under the panels remained greener for longer periods, even during dry spells, thanks to the shade reducing evaporation and preserving soil moisture. These findings indicate that agrivoltaic systems can enhance pasture quality and extend grazing seasons, offering farmers a practical way to adapt to increasingly unpredictable weather patterns linked to climate change.

Moreover, the INRAE study found that the integration of solar infrastructure with grazing land did not negatively affect the health or productivity of the animals—reinforcing the broader potential of agrivoltaism as a dual-use strategy. Véronique Deiss, a researcher involved in the project, emphasized that “the thermal comfort of the animals is significantly improved, and the availability of high-quality forage is consistently better.” These results align closely with those observed in Australia, despite differences in scale and climate, suggesting that the benefits of combining agriculture and solar energy production may be broadly applicable across diverse environments. By validating the mutual advantages for both renewable energy generation and livestock farming, these studies reinforce the idea that agrivoltaism could serve as a scalable solution for optimizing land use while fostering climate resilience.

Four Key Advantages of Agrivoltaism

1. Maximizing Land Use Efficiency

With global populations rising and agricultural land shrinking due to urban expansion and climate change, agrivoltaism offers a method to generate food and energy simultaneously. This efficient use of space is particularly crucial in regions facing extreme droughts or unreliable crop yields.

2. Boosting Climate Resilience

Livestock farming is increasingly vulnerable to rising temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns. By utilizing solar farms as protective microclimates, agrivoltaism shields animals from extreme conditions, improving survival rates and overall productivity.

3. Sustainable Solar Farm Maintenance

Managing vegetation growth around solar farms can be labor-intensive and expensive. Instead of relying on mechanical mowing or chemical herbicides, allowing sheep to naturally graze reduces environmental impact while trimming costs.

4. Enhancing Biodiversity

Well-managed agrivoltaic systems provide diverse habitats for pollinators, birds, and native grasses. By planting wildflowers and native plants beneath panels, ecosystems can thrive while supporting local biodiversity.

Challenges and the Path Forward

Despite its promise, agrivoltaism presents logistical and policy-related challenges. For widespread adoption, regulatory frameworks must evolve to accommodate mixed-use land policies, ensuring farmers and energy providers can seamlessly integrate agrivoltaic practices. Future research efforts should focus on:

Long-term soil health analysis: Understanding how agrivoltaic practices affect soil composition and carbon sequestration.
Expanding trials to new climates: Testing different livestock species under varying environmental conditions.
Developing management strategies: Optimizing grazing patterns to prevent overgrazing and ensure sustainable land use.

A Model for Sustainable Coexistence

By demonstrating how livestock and renewable energy can thrive side by side, agrivoltaism stands as a beacon of innovation in the fight against climate change. As governments and industries seek holistic solutions to ecological challenges, integrating agricultural activities into solar farms may soon become a standard practice worldwide.

The success of these experiments suggests that energy generation can complement—not compete with—agriculture. By fostering collaboration between policymakers, farmers, and energy companies, we inch closer to a future where food security, clean energy, and ecological balance coexist harmoniously.