On a windswept field in Lincolnshire, farmer Hannah Thorogood watches her flock weave between towering rows of solar panels, their heads down as they graze on the lush grass beneath. This innovative practice, known as solar grazing, is transforming her prospects and those of a growing number of UK sheep farmers.
A Lifeline for New Farmers
Hannah Thorogood, a first-generation farmer from Lincolnshire, explains that access to solar land has been transformative. "When I began, managing just 18 acres with 20 sheep was my financial limit," she said. "Now, because I can graze this land at no cost, I operate on 250 acres with more than 200 sheep. It provided a massive leg-up in the industry."
Her experience is not unique. Across the country, farmers are turning to solar sites to secure grazing land that is otherwise prohibitively expensive or unavailable. Dr Liz Genever, another farmer based in south-east Lincolnshire, has tripled her sheep numbers thanks to similar arrangements. She estimates that fully utilising the potential of local solar sites could boost her income from sheep from £20,000 to £60,000 annually.
The Mechanics of a 'Triple-Win'
Solar grazing involves using sheep to manage vegetation on solar farms. The panels require maintained grassland underneath, which traditionally involves costly mowing or chemical spraying—expenses that can reach £50,000 per year for a typical site.
Sheep offer a natural alternative. They efficiently graze the grass, even in hard-to-reach spots between panel legs, work in all weathers, and eliminate the need for diesel-guzzling machinery. The practice is so effective that Murray Sellars, co-founder of the land management company GroundGraze, suggests shepherds may soon be paid for their services in areas with a shortage of flocks.
Emilien Simonot of Lightsource BP, which runs one of the UK's largest sheep-grazing programmes, champions this as a 'triple-win' solution, benefiting farming businesses, the renewable energy sector, and society at large. This view is supported by Prof Alona Armstrong of Lancaster University, who states such multi-purpose land use is vital.
Scepticism and Caveats
Despite the apparent benefits, not all voices are unanimously positive. Fraser Key, a fourth-generation farmer who hosts a solar farm, acknowledges the advantages but warns of broader risks. "Solar grazing is a very good thing," he conceded. "But the drive to cover agricultural land with panels is dangerous. We can't decimate the agricultural community in the process."
Nicola Noble of the National Sheep Association cautions that promises of grazing are sometimes used as a public relations tool to ease planning applications for solar developments, with the grazing never materialising. Meanwhile, biodiversity expert Guy Parker notes that while grazing can benefit wildlife, overly high stocking densities on some solar farms can minimise its ecological value.
The context for this innovation is pressing. The UK's sheep flock has hit a record low due to soaring costs and market instability, threatening the nation's traditional self-sufficiency in lamb. For farmers like Thorogood, the immediate benefits are clear: improved soil quality, increased pasture diversity, no need for herbicides, and shelter for the sheep provided by the panels in extreme weather.
While solar grazing is not a silver bullet for the deep-seated challenges in British agriculture—it won't lower land prices or force supermarkets to pay more—it does offer a crucial opportunity. For those locked out of land ownership, it provides a rare and valuable foothold. As Thorogood stands between the silent panels, the politics fade into the background, leaving just grass, shelter, and a clearer future for her flock.
