Volkswagen replaces lawnmowers with 100 sheep at Polish solar farm

At Volkswagen's sprawling solar facility in Poland, sheep have replaced lawnmowers as part of a dual-purpose initiative aimed at maintaining more than 31,000 solar panels and supporting scientific research into agrivoltaics, which combines farming with renewable energy production.

The flock has been introduced at the company's large solar installation, which supplies electricity to Volkswagen's manufacturing plant in Poznan, where vehicles, including the VW e-Crafter commercial van, are produced.

According to a report by The Electrek, the initiative is expected to reduce landscaping costs while also serving as an environmentally friendly model for managing renewable energy sites.

“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-Gronska, director of Volkswagen Poznan.

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Agrivoltaics combines farming with solar energy

The 18.3-megawatt (MW) solar installation was built and is managed by Berlin-based green energy company Quanta Energy.

On days with peak sunshine, the facility generates enough electricity to meet 100% of the Volkswagen factory's power requirements. Across an entire year, it provides around 25% of the plant's total energy consumption.

By using sheep to manage vegetation, Volkswagen is exploring agrivoltaics, an approach that combines solar power generation with agricultural activity on the same land.

While grazing livestock beneath solar panels has become increasingly common in the US and the UK, Volkswagen said the Polish project is among Europe's most advanced industrial agrivoltaics initiatives because of its close collaboration with academic researchers.

Researchers study impact on animals and environment

According to the report, the sheep will remain at the solar farm through the fall season under the care of professional breeders.

Natural grazing removes the need for gas-powered mechanical mowers, helping lower maintenance costs while reducing corporate carbon emissions. It also prevents the risk of flying debris from traditional mowing equipment damaging the solar panels.

To assess the long-term effects of the initiative, Volkswagen has partnered with the Poznan University of Life Sciences. Researchers will monitor how the solar installation influences both the animals and the surrounding land.

“Agrivoltaics allows us to look at photovoltaic farms from a much broader perspective than energy generation alone,” explained Dr Joanna Składanowska-Baryza from the university’s Department of Animal Breeding.

The research team is examining whether the shade created by thousands of solar panels reduces heat stress in grazing animals, how the sheep affect soil quality, local microclimates and vegetation, and whether the site provides suitable habitats for insects and native wildlife.

Flock owner Justyna Nowak-Gajek said the animals have settled comfortably into their new environment.

“We can clearly see that the flock feels safe – the sheep naturally split into smaller groups and graze calmly in different parts of the solar farm. This is the best evidence that they have adapted well to these conditions, because a flock that feels threatened always stays together.”