Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology is the fastest growing energy industry and one of the most environmentally promising methods to obtain a sustainable energy system. It’s quite appealing to think that less than 1% farmland is required for agrivoltaics to meet 20% of US electric generation. Of course, there are issues to be managed with solar farms, including the task of avoiding panel shading and damage from vine and tree growth, which can cause reduced electricity production.
Vegetation management with sheep is an emerging industry, as sheep and solar have multiple benefits for farmers. Land productivity can be greatly increased because sheep grazing is constant, and added value that comes with choosing sheep as a vegetative detergent is generated by the PV. The Boston Globe recently chronicled a pair of farmers from Fitchburg, Massachusetts as they kept watch over a flock of more than 200 sheep.
Jesse and Elspeth Robertson-Dubois anticipated the expanding fuzzy huddle under a row of solar panels as the heat of the day rose. That row was part of the 15,000 solar panels that make up the Fitchburg Renewables solar farm. The project generates clean energy and feeds it into the Unitil grid.
The site is also equipped with a 2.5 MW / 5.2 MWh battery energy storage system.
This farm was converted from an abandoned apple orchard 3 years ago into a 20-acre solar farm. The owner of the panels, solar company Nexamp, is leasing the land from the orchard owner for 25 years. The Robert.