Baa-illiant eco-innovation: woolly mowers take over solar farms

A small flock of lambs is grazing its way to sustainability – trimming the grass beneath solar panels without fumes, flying stones or microplastics. These woolly workers are proving that cutting-edge innovation and old-school farming can go hand in hoof.

Why sheep, you ask? Well, traditional mowers can damage solar panels, release emissions by creating exhaust fumes, and leave microplastics behind. But these lambs offer precision grazing with zero emissions — keeping the grass in check, reducing maintenance costs and keeping the planet happy. Plus, they work for hay (literally).

This is all going on at our solar power plant in Toponár, Hungary, but the UK is no stranger to the concept of grazing sheep beneath solar farms. At a farm in Wales, land leased for a 47MW solar farm supports 300 breeding ewes and their lambs, keeping the grass neatly trimmed while maintaining the farm’s livelihood. And plans to develop the UK’s biggest solar farm near Newark, Nottinghamshire, included proposals for thousands of sheep to graze under its panels to help win over local opposition!

And it’s not just sheep doing their bit. Our solar fields feature bee-friendly wildflower habitats, bird boxes for swallows, and even bat houses. In the UK, we’ve even added an insect hotel to one our latest electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Wales! And through innovative ecological corridor management, we’re transforming the land beneath power lines into thriving ecosystems — enhancing biodiversity while ensuring energy reliability. It’s all part of our mission to harmonise energy production with nature.

We’re always looking for ways to make energy production more sustainable, and our woolly workers are just one example of how innovation and nature can go hand in hand. With sheep on solar farms, wildflowers for bees, and homes for birds and bats, we’re proving that clean energy can work in harmony with the environment.