Massachusetts public power utility Shrewsbury Electric & Cable Operations recently welcomed a group of Khatadin sheep back to its solar array at a landfill in Shrewsbury, Mass.
“These hard-working sheep will take care of the vegetation across 11.5 acres, ensuring our 10,802 solar panels remain efficient and environmentally friendly,” SELCO said in a recent Facebook post.
SELCO noted that sheep naturally fertilize the soil, promoting deeper root systems and better moisture retention. Their grazing helps stabilize the soil, enhance beneficial microbes, and even improve power generation.
They will provide approximately 50,000 lbs of natural, clean fertilizer back into the soil, the utility noted.
The solar array generates three megawatts of power.
By using sheep instead of gas-powered weedwhackers, the utility significantly reduces carbon emissions, it said.
Solar Shepherd, which manage solar sites with sheep across Massachusetts, ensures the sheep are well cared for, regularly checking their water supply, safety, and moving them to fresh grazing spots.
SELCO is inviting the community to visit the sheep and learn more from the Solar Shepard Team at the utility’s SELCO Community Open House on June 28.
Sheep are naturally suited to the job of solar grazing, the American Solar Grazing Association notes. “They enjoy the shade of the solar panels on hot days, napping and grazing where humans would struggle to reach. They are resourceful foragers, walking to search for vegetation that might otherwise become a shady nuisance for the solar company,” the association said.
