The business of solar grazing, using animals to manage vegetation at solar sites, has taken off in along with the growth of solar in the U.S. According to Stacie Peterson, executive director of the American Solar Grazing Association (ASGA), solar grazing became a business in 2018. This was one year before the U.S. achieved two million solar installations.
The United States Solar Grazing 2024 Census was the first to attempt to capture the full scope and scale of U.S. solar grazing. Conducted by ASGA in conjunction with U.S. Department of Energy National Lab of the Rockies (NREL), the census found that over 113,000 sheep grazed through fields of solar panels on 129,000 acres of land. The 2025 census has not yet been released, but Peterson told pv magazine USA that she believes the numbers have greatly increased.
The ASGA Solar Grazing Map is a resource for solar grazers and solar site operators and developers to connect with each other and build partnerships. Credit: American Solar Grazing Association
What solar grazers bring to solar sites is expertise in agriculture, land stewardship, vegetation management, soil health knowledge and forage and weed knowledge, according to Peterson. Graziers provide additional benefits to solar developers or owners including their connections within the local community and their deep understanding of the land.
Having a regular physical presence at the site is another plus, which Rebekah Pierce, solar grazer and owner of New York-based J&R Pierce Family Farms said has great value to O&M teams. “It’s hard to quantify on paper what being on site means to the O&M team, but we’re there every other day. If we see an issue that needs to be addressed like a loose wire or a hole in a fence, we let them know and that issue is addressed.”
While most solar grazing is done with sheep, J&R Pierce Family Farm raises cows as well as sheep. Pierce proposed a cattle-grazing pilot to Nexamp, a solar developer that grazed livestock at 89 sites this past season across five states for a total of almost 2,000 acres, according to Keith Hevenor, communications manager.
“We began our grazing program in 2019 with just one site and have been expanding significantly each year since,” Hevenor said. “We are looking forward to even more progress next year and love that our grazing partners are able to continue an agricultural application on these solar farms while providing a necessary service for us in a safer and more sustainable way.”
The cow pilot began last summer on two of Nexamp’s solar sites in Fort Covington, New York. Five cattle, including one bull, grazed among the solar modules mounted on trackers, and it was a success with the cows showing “no unusual behavior,” according to Pierce. She said that sheep remain the most flexible option for solar sites, especially those that were not designed for grazing larger animals. Pierce noted, however, that grazing cattle is worth consideration, especially when looking at market potential and the fact that Americans consume far more beef than lamb.
J&R Pierce Family Farm grazed cattle on two of Nexamp’s solar projects in New York state. Credit: J&R Pierce Family Farm
The arrangement between the solar grazer and the developer are different depending on region and for different graziers, Peterson said. In addition to signing an agreement that works for both parties, Pierce stressed that communication is key, so it’s important to have a connection with the right person in the company, especially in light of the fact that solar projects are commonly acquired and new people take the helm.
Many times, enhancing communication requires dispelling misconceptions. Pierce said that in most cases, livestock are less risky than mechanical mowers and other farm equipment. She said sheep don’t chew on wires and damage things, they don’t kick up rocks, they’re not creating fire risk. These misconceptions, she said, just aren’t true and the benefits are many.
A main challenge for both parties is in educating one another about priorities and how they can work together successfully.
“The more corporate world of solar companies can be quite the dichotomy from the one of farmers/ranchers, and vice versa,” said Matt Kovarik of Maine-based Black Earth Grazing. “Once we both do a little work of educating each other on our systems, the partnership can serve both interests and work out quite successfully.”
ReVision Energy, a renewable energy contracting company based in New England, has partnered since 2024 with Black Earth Grazing on a dual-management solar grazing program. It’s been so successful that the farmers changed the name from Black Earth Forest Farm to Black Earth Grazing. They started with 40 ewes and now manage a flock of several hundred. They’re currently responsible for 11 of ReVision’s community solar sites, and the flock keeps growing as more solar sites become available.
The many benefits of solar grazing for solar companies include vegetation management that requires fewer fossil fuels than mechanical methods, a human presence on site and a connection to local graziers who provide products to the community pay taxes, support local services and more.
“We are there to provide vegetation management, but we are a bit more invested in the land and its productivity than a mowing crew would be, as we are deriving benefits from a healthy well-managed pasture that feeds our sheep,” said .
For the grazier, the benefits include the pay they receive for performing land stewardship and vegetation management and access to a greater land area that enables them to expand the size of their operations.
Solar grazing offers a cost-effective solution to land stewardship and vegetation management, with many other tangible benefits as a bonus. For solar developers interested in solar grazing, ASGA offers a one-day workshop for site operations and management teams, developers, asset managers and sustainability teams. Participants receive a Level 1 Solar Grazing Management Certification.
Register for pv magazine USA week to learn more about solar grazing October 22 in a keynote fireside chat with Silicon Ranch, one of the leading solar grazing installers in the U.S.
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