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Dec. 23, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: A letter in the Dec 18 News-Gazette claimed, among other things, that “sheep are not a good match for solar farms” in large part because the temperature under the solar panel is elevated by “at least 2 degrees.”
While there are many types of solar panels as well as many types of biomes in which to install them, I could not find good evidence to support this claim for modern solar installations where the vegetation cover remains in place, as would be the case in socalled agrivoltaic set-ups.
For example, researchers at Lancaster University found that shaded areas under solar panels on hot days can be as much as 5 degrees Celsius cooler compared to control areas (see Armstrong et al, 2016, Environ. Res. Lett. 11).
Another research team from the Netherlands and the U.S. found that sheep benefit in multiple ways from grazing around elevated solar panels. The shade promotes higher soil moisture content and higher quality forage growth. Also, cooler temperatures under the panels reduce heat stress and improve digestion efficiency. In fact, they found that the sheep in their study chose to spend 90% of their time in the shade of the panels on warmer days as opposed to 70% on cooler days. (see Kampherbeek et al, 2023, Applied Animal Behaviour Sci. 258).
Moreover, while the panels provide shade to the sheep, others point out that sheep control vegetation at lower cost than mowing. All of this, of course, requires good design and management, and it may not be the best choice for every land owner, but there’s a growing list of examples demonstrating substantial benefits.
JOSEPH GUSE Lexington
