Since 2021, 300 cows of a farmer in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, have died successively after the installation of solar panels on the roof of his new barn.
A Swiss breeder explains to the daily newspaper Blick that six months after installing solar panels on his barn, his animals started getting sick. During the calving period, when cows give birth to their calves, they presented serious problems: respiratory distress, blood acidification and a very weakened immune system.
In total, more than 300 cattle died, for an estimated loss of more than three million Swiss francs (3 262 482 euros).
Despite the interventions of a veterinarian and a consultation in a Bernese clinic, the situation did not improve. The trail of stray current was finally put forward, without the direct link between the solar panels being formally established. This electrical current can flow unintentionally through the building structure and generate stray voltages in the barn, causing health problems in the animals.
Stray currents are imperceptible to humans, but not to cows. “A 700 kilo cow on four legs has a much lower electrical resistance than a human”explains Markus Rombach from Agridea, the Swiss reference platform for agriculture.
The breeder thus moved his cows to his old barn. Since then, 90 of his animals are currently living there without any new problems.
The case attracted the attention of Swiss political parties. A UDC elected official mentioned a temporary moratorium on solar panels on stables.
The president of the Vert’libéraux, Jürg Grossen, also head of the professional association of the solar industry, puts things into perspective: “Stray currents have nothing to do with solar panels. They can appear anywhere electrical devices are installed, such as milking machines.” He ensures that his installers are trained in this issue.
Source
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