On some Canadian solar farms, sheep are turning grass into a better payday.

New findings, reported by BGR, suggest tending flocks on solar installations can pay about two to three times more than conventional shepherding. A study from Western University’s Ivey School of Business, conducted with a professional shepherd from The Lara Costa farm, assessed two solar-grazing models in Canada: keeping breeding ewes or buying lambs at annual auctions. It found strong returns in both cases.

Glassdoor lists shepherd pay at about $42,000 to $79,000 a year. The study estimated return on investment at 16 percent to 31 percent for breeding operations and 22 percent to 43 percent for auction-based operations.

The solar sites can also help the animals and the operators. Shade from the panels can keep sheep cooler, while vegetation around the installations gives them a dependable food source. Operators may spend less on pasture leases and can earn money from solar farm owners for vegetation management.

The findings point to two benefits at once: more efficient land use and lower maintenance costs for clean energy infrastructure. Agrivoltaics allows land used for power production to keep supporting agriculture, grazing animals and pollinator habitat.

Using sheep in place of mowing equipment can reduce fuel costs, cut emissions, and lower the risk of dust and debris being kicked onto solar panels. Cleaner panels and better-controlled vegetation can help solar arrays keep generating electricity efficiently.

BGR reported that agrivoltaics is already expanding in Canada, with backing from groups including Agrivoltaics Canada and growing interest in multi-use solar development. Sheep grazing is already one of the most established agrivoltaic approaches.

The study also noted limits. Predators, parasites and disease can hurt flock health and cut profits. Solar sites may need fencing, rotational grazing layouts and dependable water access so animals can move around and keep vegetation under control.

For developers, that means planning solar farms with grazing in mind from the start. As the article put it, the sheep are “just mowing the grass.”

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