Energy company EDP has opened a new solar plant in Italy where nearly 17,000 panels produce clean power and 250 sheep graze.
The Monti di Eboli site is the company's first agrivoltaics project in Europe, and it provides benefits for both farmers and the planet.
The panels create shade for the sheep, helping them stay cool in increasingly warm temperatures. Even the grass likes it, staying greener and tougher against drought because it's not getting scorched all day.
The sheep return the favor. These animals are basically walking lawnmowers that keep the grass perfectly trimmed around the panels. You don't need noisy, air-polluting mowers. The natural upkeep allows the solar panels to run more efficiently.
This concept of combining solar energy and farming on the same land is also called co-location. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this is a smart way to prevent solar and regular farms from fighting over the same sunny real estate.
It's also a great deal for farmers. They can lease land for solar panels and get extra, steady income while still using the area for grazing or certain crops. It means getting more out of every acre. Plus, making clean energy right where it might be used cuts down on pollution from power plants and potentially farm equipment. That means cleaner air for everybody nearby.
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This isn't just some quirky Italian thing. People are catching on worldwide. In Australia, EnergyCo made a guide to help farmers try it. In the U.S., a project in Illinois called Goldenrod Solar Farm put panels on farmland to power 850 homes. A Swiss company, Insolight, is designing special solar setups just for fruit growers.
It shows we can be clever about tackling big problems. As EDP's Italy lead, Roberto Pasqua, said, the project "demonstrates how innovation and the environment can coexist in a habitat that improves the quality of life ... and ensures enhanced performance."
Finding smart ways to make things work together, maybe even rethinking our food habits toward more plant-based options, helps build that healthier future.
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