SOLAR GRAZING: A SUSTAINABLE AND VALUE-ADDED SOLUTION FOR SOLAR PARKS
The grass that grows in solar parks is a problem, both in economic and environmental cost, mainly, if chemicals are used to eradicate vegetation.
A solution to this situation is solar grazing, that is, using herds of herbivorous animals to eliminate the weeds that create under the photovoltaic panels and sheep are the animals that adapt best, since they are relatively small, do not like to climb or jump and move with their heads down so they are not a risk to the solar panels.
At Irradia Energía we are committed to the use of sheep in our operating parks as they provide the following advantages:
- Reduced maintenance costs by eliminating or minimizing the need for weeding from the ground.
- Elimination of the use of chemical products reducing the environmental impact associated with their use.
- With solar grazing, the vegetation of solar parks becomes a source of nutrition for sheep, providing shepherds with a safe space for their activity.
In short, with solar grazing, ecological maintenance of the land is ensured and the risk of fires is reduced. Meanwhile, sheep have access to food in solar parks and, under the panels, protection from the sun, rain and wind. A reality that creates a new ecosystem in which everyone wins: the herders, the energy companies and the sheep themselves.
Irradia Energía has been using sheep for many years in the facilities where we are in charge of O&M, so we know how to implement it efficiently and responsibly.
