Solar Grazing Manages Vegetation at MGE’s Tyto Solar

Agrivoltaics, also known as dual-use solar, is the use of land for solar generation and agriculture. Our regulated utility, Madison Gas and Electric (MGE), is using a form of agrivoltaics—“solar grazing”—at the Tyto Solar project in Fitchburg to help control ground cover. “Solar grazing” by a flock of sheep during the growing season keeps the grasses and brush from shading the panels, which avoids drops in efficiency. The grazing also avoids fossil fuel use associated with mowing. 

The sheep from Wiscovery Farm arrived in July at Tyto Solar. The growing season typically lasts through October, at which time the sheep return to their nearby farm.

The use of sheep for solar grazing builds on MGE’s use of agrivoltaics, which includes efforts to incorporate pollinator-friendly habitat for monarch butterflies and other pollinators at MGE’s other owned and operated solar facilities. Watch the latest Green View video from MGE to learn more about these efforts.