Can Cows and Solar Power Coexist? We’re About to Find Out – Inside Climate News

Report on Agrivoltaics Integration with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

This report examines the practice of agrivoltaics, specifically the integration of utility-scale solar energy generation with livestock grazing, as exemplified by Silicon Ranch’s project in Lancaster, Kentucky. The analysis focuses on how this dual-land-use model aligns with and advances several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to clean energy, sustainable agriculture, climate action, and economic growth. The report details current practices with sheep, innovations for cattle integration, and the broader economic and environmental implications of scaling these systems.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The integration of solar energy production and agriculture, or agrivoltaics, provides a multi-faceted approach to sustainable development. This model directly contributes to the achievement of several key SDGs.

Primary SDG Contributions

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy: By expanding the land available for utility-scale solar development, agrivoltaics accelerates the transition to renewable energy sources, contributing to a sustainable energy infrastructure.
• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: This approach ensures that land used for energy production remains active in the food system, addressing concerns about competition for land resources and promoting sustainable agriculture.
• SDG 13: Climate Action: The model directly combats climate change by increasing clean energy capacity to displace fossil fuels. Furthermore, it explores methods for enhancing soil carbon storage on grazing lands.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: Projects are being developed to manage and improve biodiversity on solar sites, contributing to the restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems.

Secondary SDG Contributions

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Agrivoltaics creates new, diversified revenue streams for farmers and landowners, fostering sustainable economic growth in rural communities.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The development of systems like CattleTracker represents significant innovation in building resilient infrastructure that supports both the energy and agricultural sectors.
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: This model promotes sustainable production patterns by optimizing land-use efficiency, combining food and energy generation within a single footprint.

Current State and Innovations in Solar Grazing

Established Practices: Sheep Grazing

The co-location of solar panels and sheep grazing is a well-established practice that offers mutual benefits and aligns with sustainable land management principles.

• Synergistic Benefits: Sheep provide natural vegetation management, reducing the need for mechanical mowing and herbicides. In return, the solar panels offer shade, which improves animal welfare.
• Project Example: The Turkey Creek Solar Ranch in Kentucky, a 70-megawatt facility on 750 acres, successfully integrates a flock of over one thousand Katahdin sheep for grounds maintenance.
• National Scope: Data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the American Solar Grazing Association indicate hundreds of such projects nationwide, with a significant concentration in Texas. Of 248 livestock-based agrivoltaic projects in the NREL database, 237 involve sheep.

Innovation for Expansion: Cattle Integration

Expanding agrivoltaics to include cattle presents a substantial opportunity for scaling renewable energy in line with SDG 7, given the vast acreage used for cattle grazing in the United States. However, it requires innovative solutions to overcome unique challenges.

Key Challenges

1. The large size and weight of cattle (up to 2,000 pounds) pose a physical risk to solar panel infrastructure.
2. Cattle have a tendency to rub against structures, which can damage vulnerable components of the solar arrays.

The CattleTracker System

Silicon Ranch has developed an innovative solution named CattleTracker to facilitate the safe integration of cattle with solar arrays.

1. Problem Identification: The system recognizes that panels are most vulnerable when tilted at near-vertical angles, bringing them within reach of cattle.
2. Technological Solution: The tracker’s control system is programmed to maintain panels at a near-horizontal angle when cattle are present in a specific pasture area.
3. Operational Integration: The system accommodates rotational grazing practices. When the herd is moved to a different section, the panels can resume their normal, optimized tracking of the sun, thus minimizing energy production losses while ensuring equipment safety.

Economic and Environmental Impact Analysis

Economic Viability and Market Potential

The business model for agrivoltaics is designed to be economically self-sufficient, contributing to SDG 8 by creating robust and replicable business solutions.

• Diversified Income: Farmers can gain income from land leases for solar development while continuing their agricultural operations, enhancing economic resilience.
• Growth Potential: The U.S. beef industry is substantially larger than the sheep industry, indicating that successful cattle integration could unlock vast new territories for solar development.
• Business-Driven Approach: Industry leaders advocate for developing agrivoltaics as a sound business solution that is not dependent on government subsidies, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Environmental Considerations

While expanding renewable energy is a clear climate positive (SDG 13), the integration with animal agriculture requires a nuanced environmental assessment.

• Net Climate Benefit: Solar grazing aims to create a net positive by pairing a climate solution (solar energy) with an industry that contributes to emissions, thereby improving the overall environmental footprint of the land.
• Sustainable Practices: The model emphasizes rotational grazing and biodiversity management, which can improve soil health and increase carbon sequestration, directly supporting SDG 15.
• Knowledge Gaps: Peer-reviewed research is still emerging. A 2025 study noted that “knowledge gaps persist” in fully assessing the comprehensive benefits and drawbacks, highlighting the need for continued research to validate the long-term environmental impacts.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger – The article addresses this goal by focusing on agrivoltaics, a practice that integrates agriculture with solar energy production. This approach addresses concerns about renewable energy projects “encroaching on food production and agribusiness,” thereby promoting sustainable food production systems alongside energy generation.
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – This is a central theme of the article. The entire discussion revolves around utility-scale solar arrays and the development of new technologies like “CattleTracker” to expand solar energy production. The text explicitly states that this work contributes to a “transition away from climate-warming fossil fuels.”
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – The article highlights innovation in the renewable energy sector. The development of the “CattleTracker” system by Silicon Ranch is a prime example of technological innovation designed to create sustainable infrastructure that combines energy and agriculture, making industries more efficient and environmentally sound.
• SDG 13: Climate Action – The article directly connects the expansion of solar energy to climate action. It describes solar grazing as an “attempt to marry a climate solution to a climate problem” and notes that the transition to solar helps move away from “climate-warming fossil fuels.” It also mentions efforts to increase the land’s capacity to store carbon.
• SDG 15: Life on Land – The concept of agrivoltaics, or using land for both grazing and energy production, is directly related to the sustainable management of terrestrial ecosystems. The article mentions that Silicon Ranch’s work includes “determining how to manage biodiversity and increase the land’s capacity to store carbon,” which are key components of protecting life on land.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 2.4: “By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices…” The practice of agrivoltaics, which allows for livestock grazing (food production) on the same land as solar panels, is a resilient agricultural practice that increases the overall productivity of the land.
• Target 7.2: “By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.” The article’s focus on expanding utility-scale solar projects, particularly by opening up “vast stretches of land for solar development” through cattle grazing integration, directly supports this target.
• Target 9.4: “By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies…” The solar farm itself is sustainable infrastructure, and the development of the CattleTracker system is a clean technology that increases the resource-use efficiency of land.
• Target 13.2: “Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.” While the article focuses on a corporate initiative, projects like this represent the practical implementation of climate change mitigation measures, contributing to a broader transition away from fossil fuels.
• Target 15.3: “By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil… and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world.” The article implies progress toward this target by mentioning that the company’s work includes efforts to “increase the land’s capacity to store carbon,” a key indicator of soil health and land restoration.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for SDG 7 (Renewable Energy Share): The article provides specific quantitative data that can serve as indicators. This includes the generating capacity of the Turkey Creek Solar Ranch (70 megawatts) and the number of agrivoltaic projects in the United States (e.g., 617 projects listed in one database, 506 in another). These figures measure the growth of renewable energy infrastructure.
• Indicator for SDG 2 (Agricultural Productivity): The article mentions the number of sheep in the flock (“more than a thousand”) and provides national statistics on meat production (“138.9 million pounds of sheep” vs. “27 billion pounds of beef”). These figures can be used as indicators of agricultural output and the potential scale of combining livestock farming with solar energy.
• Indicator for SDG 9 (Innovation): The development and planned deployment of the “CattleTracker” system is a qualitative indicator of technological innovation. The number of pilot projects testing solar and cattle integration (e.g., projects by BlueWave Solar, University of Minnesota, Rutgers University) also serves as an indicator of research and development in sustainable technologies.
• Indicator for SDG 15 (Land Management): The article implies an indicator by stating an objective to “increase the land’s capacity to store carbon.” Measuring changes in soil carbon content on these agrivoltaic farms would be a direct way to track progress toward sustainable land management and climate action goals. The mention of “managing biodiversity” also points to a potential, though unquantified, indicator.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: insideclimatenews.org