Solar Power’s Growing Ag Footprint

At first glance, solar energy production and livestock grazing don’t seem like they have much in common, but the two industries have formed a growing partnership with what’s known as solar grazing.

This episode of Grid Talk features Nick Armentrout who is the president of the American Solar Grazing Association. Armentrout reports a steep rise in the use of livestock to graze under and around solar panel deployments in rural America.

“There is vegetation in place to control stormwater. After the site is turned on and is operational, now you need to maintain that vegetation. You don’t want it to grow too tall and shade the panels and impact actual production.” said Armentrout.

It’s turning out to be a win-win situation for farmers and energy producers. Instead of machinery to keep vegetation in check, farmers use the land for grazing animals.

“Over 120,00 acres of solar are being grazed in the United States, so that is more than any other country that we’re aware of on the globe.” 

The trend benefits solar power generators, helping them maintain the land under their power assets, produces new income streams for small family farmers, and is inspiring a new generation of young farmers that want to help tackle climate change.

“I think it’s a fantastic situation, I mean, we’re just scratching the surface on livestock and grazing solar and the potential benefits for the animals in the system.”