Solar panels and sheep are a good fit

For her MSc-thesis Emma went to California, where at the Gold Tree Solar Farm she did research on so called 'solar sheep': sheep that graze solar farms. Among other things, Emma studied via data loggers on their collars how the sheep use solar parks as foraging areas. She also looked at how the presence of solar panels affects forage quality in such a Mediterranean climate. Emma found that sheep graze more in plots with solar panels than in similar plots without solar panels.

She explains this behaviour firstly by the protection the solar panels offer the sheep from heat and harsh weather conditions, which increases grazing time. Secondly, the solar panels affect the vegetation below: the microclimate around the panels (more shade, more condensation) results in higher protein content and better digestibility.

Agri-voltaics is the official name, dual land use combining solar energy production with forms of agriculture. Of course, the situation in the Netherlands is different from that in California. But there are parallels to be drawn, especially in view of climate change. Emma points out that in the past ten years the amount of cases of heat stress and resulting casualties have drastically increased in the Netherlands.