Volkswagen employs 100 sheep at its Poland solar farm: Here's what they do

As part of a new agrivoltaics initiative, Volkswagen has introduced a flock of 100 sheep to graze beneath the solar panels powering its manufacturing plant in Poznań, Poland. According to a report by Electrek, the project is designed to explore how agriculture and renewable energy can coexist on the same land, while replacing conventional lawnmowers with a more sustainable alternative.

The initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Poznań University of Life Sciences, whose researchers are studying how sheep grazing affects animal welfare, biodiversity, soil quality, vegetation, and the site's microclimate. Agrivoltaics has emerged as a promising approach for the renewable energy sector, enabling the dual use of land for both farming and solar power generation. While previous projects have largely focused on crops grown beneath solar panels, Volkswagen's initiative expands the concept by integrating livestock.

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Volkswagen has replaced mechanical mowing with the flock to maintain the vegetation beneath more than 31,000 solar panels installed at its Poznań facility. Beyond offering an environmentally friendly method of landscape maintenance, the project aims to better understand how large-scale solar generation and agriculture can successfully coexist.

The 18.3-megawatt solar farm was built and is operated by Berlin-based Quanta Energy. On sunny days, the facility can generate enough electricity to meet the plant's entire power demand, while over the course of a year it supplies roughly 25% of the factory's electricity needs.

"Today, the photovoltaic farm delivers much more than green electricity. It has also become a place that supports biodiversity, local agriculture, and scientific research. The sheep grazing project demonstrates that modern industry can work in harmony with nature," said Marzena Pillich-Grońska, Director of Volkswagen Poznań.

The sheep will remain at the solar farm through the autumn under the supervision of experienced breeders. By eliminating the need for mechanical mowing, grazing is expected to reduce maintenance costs and emissions while creating a more hospitable environment for insects and other wildlife.