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Solar farms are booming in the US and putting thousands of hungry sheep to work (apnews.com)

submitted 1 month ago by SteveKLord@slrpnk.net to c/energy@slrpnk.net

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The booming solar industry has found an unlikely mascot in sheep as large-scale solar farms crop up across the U.S. and in the plain fields of Texas. In Milam County, outside Austin, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country, capable of generating 900 megawatts of power across 4,000 acres (1,618 hectares).

How do they manage all that grass? With the help of about 3,000 sheep, which are better suited than lawnmowers to fit between small crevices and chew away rain or shine.

The proliferation of sheep on solar farms is part of a broader trend — solar grazing — that has exploded alongside the solar industry.

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[–] mosiacmango@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The electric robot ones basically do, in the sense that they go and charge when needed and then return to cutting the area until it's done.

[–] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The main problem with mowers is that they can't get around equipment very well, so there ends up being labor intensive trimming that needs to be done

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Perhaps we could develop intelligent mowers which could be fueled by the biomass of the grass clippings. We could call them "Smart Harvesters for Efficient Environmental Pruning" or S.H.E.E.P., for short :)