One of the most important photo voltaic panel farms east of the Mississippi River has discovered a brand new method to offer clear power.
TWIGGS COUNTY, Ga. — Usually, farmers use lawnmowers or tractors to forestall the photo voltaic panels from being shaded by overgrown vegetation.
In Twiggs County nonetheless, Onward Energy is utilizing the corporate Goat Farm Road to assist management the vegetation rising underneath the photo voltaic panels. Goats and sheep eat grass to maintain it low. Goat Farm Road supervisor Abby Banks says goats are cheaper than mowing and scale back emissions.
“Also, convey the animals right here, it helps the wildlife too. Bobwhite quails, rabbits, we have even seen foxes, even Onward advised me they observed they noticed a bit of wildlife right here as a result of when the large tools is operating so it is a large plus for the wildlife,” Banks mentioned.
Banks mentioned they’ve greater than 2,500 sheep and goats that graze on the 1,675-acre property in Twiggs County. He mentioned the animals keep in a single part for 2 or three days then transfer to a bigger space of land and keep there for about 30 days.
Banks says the goats assist with erosion and the pure circulate of water. And as a result of they do not use fossil gas, the water in that space stays clear. The solely time to chop the grass is when the goats do not eat a few of the grass within the discipline.
“I’m behind the goats and I normally reduce issues which are dying or too exhausting for them to eat like Johnson grass,” mentioned Cameron Baur, one of many employees at Goat Farm Road.
Banks mentioned they give the impression of being after the animals 24/7, ensuring they’re given water and stopping them from tampering with the panels. According to him, the goats usually are not harmful as a result of they moved them and they’re in a big space of land.
Madison Tucker mentioned she began working at Goat Farm Road 4 months in the past, however has been elevating goats for about 5 years. He mentioned Onward Energy makes positive employees like him are secure across the panel.
“When we first acquired right here at Onward Energy, we acquired a security orientation about every thing we needed to do. We stored our exhausting hats on to forestall any head accidents from falling photo voltaic panel, operating free wires which may have come off, security vest,” Tucker mentioned.
Onward Energy has 4 photo voltaic farms in Georgia and offers zero-carbon renewable power akin to wind, photo voltaic, and pure gasoline nationwide.
