GAINESVILLE, Texas — One of the biggest obstacles with solar power isn’t darkness.
It’s plants.
“So if the grass grows higher than the solar panels, then it creates what’s called shading and that affects the amount of energy we’re able to produce,” said Elora Arana, project development manager for Adapture Renewables.
Adapture Renewables owns 39 solar facilities around the United States, including a 330-acre solar farm in Gainesville.
Arana says not only can grass create shade; mowing it is one of the company’s biggest expenses.
So, to lower the cost, Adapture Renewables has contracted an unlikely team of landscapers: Sheep.
More than 450 sheep now maintain the land, eating their way through 330 acres of grass.
“Just endless growth, so those sheep can eat as much as they want,” said JR Howard, rancher and owner of Texas Solar Sheep.
Howard supplies sheep for multiple solar generating facilities in Texas and he says the sheep don’t just eat vegetation, they help it grow.
In Gainesville, the soil’s organic content has improved 300%, meaning the land could also be used other kinds of farming.
“I knew the sheep would be a perfect fit for this,” Howard said.
As expected, this all-ewes-can-eat buffet has saved a lot of money.
“We have not had to bring out or do any traditional mowing on this site since they have been introduced,” Arana said.
It isn’t just cheaper, it’s cleaner.
No lawnmowers mean no emissions, providing enough clean energy to power more than 14,000.
“I think the sheep love it out here,” Arana said. “Free food at all times, whenever you want. I think it’s real nice for them.”
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