Santa Rosa has its first solar farm. This flock of sheep will help maintain it.

Tom McLaughlin, Pensacola News Journal
·4 min read
3

Energy giant Florida Power and Light welcomed guests Wednesday morning to the 330 acre site of its Blackwater River Solar Energy Center near Milton to witness the commissioning of its new facility and introduce the visitors to a concept known as agrivoltaics.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines agrivoltaics as "the use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation." At the Blackwater River Solar Energy Center the agricultural component of the multi-use project is sheep farming.

FPL spokesman Marshall Hastings said the company is partnering with a farmer from Holt on a pilot project to test the mettle of the sheep as vegetation managers.

Sheep farmer Ariel Urra, left, and Kim Mickna, of Georgie's Farm, stand near of pen of sheep during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.
Sheep farmer Ariel Urra, left, and Kim Mickna, of Georgie's Farm, stand near of pen of sheep during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.

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Hastings said the initial plan for the property is to introduce a couple of dozen sheep to the solar power site and grow the herd over time. A sheep dog will also be deployed at the solar energy center to protect the flock.

Here's how it works:

What is the new Blackwater River Solar Energy Center?

The Blackwater River Solar Energy Center, located off Jeff Ates Road near Milton, will generate 74.5 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power 15,000 homes.

It is the first solar energy site in Santa Rosa County and will include more than 200,000 photovoltaic solar panels, according to a FPL project website.

The Blackwater River Solar Energy Site has been constructed on relatively flat land without a lot of environmental features like hills. This makes it ideal for solar energy generation as well as sheep farming, Hastings said.

What are the benefits of solar energy centers?

Solar energy centers generate significant economic benefits for local communities by increasing local business and tax revenue. Proximity to renewable energy can also be a deciding factor for job-creating companies that are considering relocation or expansion.

A second, Big Juniper Creek Solar Energy Center, is to be built off U.S. Highway 90. It is expected to come on line in 2024 and it too will generate 74.5 megawatts of clean energy.

Each solar site is expected to provide hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax revenue to the county.

Sheep mill around a pen near the field of solar panels during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.
Sheep mill around a pen near the field of solar panels during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.

Florida Power and Light operates more than 60 solar energy centers throughout Florida – including13 solar energy centers in operation in Northwest Florida.

Solar energy centers do not need fuel to operate, helping to lower fuel costs on FPL customers’ bills, according to the utility.

FPL estimates that at the height of construction, a solar energy center creates around 200 construction jobs.

“This has been a great project and a great collaboration between Santa Rosa County and FPL," Santa Rosa County Commissioner Colton Wright said in a statement. "From the (support) on another project right near here to the fact that FPL used local businesses in the construction and maintenance of this project is a huge help and it benefits the residents of Santa Rosa County.”

What do sheep have to do with solar power?

FPL is partnering with a local farmer for a solar grazing pilot project — using a flock of sheep to maintain vegetation at the Blackwater River Solar Energy Center. This pilot program will help the company discover further ways of integrating agricultural activities onto company solar sites while maintaining the rural landscape and enhancing land stewardship, according to FPL.

Sheep mill around a pen near the field of solar panels during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.
Sheep mill around a pen near the field of solar panels during a commissioning event for FPL’s Blackwater River Solar Energy Center in Milton on Wednesday, June 7, 2023. FPL introduced an agrivoltaic pilot program of using sheep to manage vegetation at the site.

A report published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory cited several benefits derived from using sheep for vegetation management at solar power sites.

Research has concluded:

  • Solar installations that preserve native habitats and ecosystems and create habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects can potentially save on operations and maintenance costs over the life of the project.

  • Livestock can reduce the maintenance costs of trimming beneath panels and reduce the need to use herbicide. Animals also benefit from the shade provided by solar panels.

  • Studies also concluded that sheep were better suited for use at solar energy sites because cattle are too big, goats tend to eat the electronics and pigs wallow.

"These are the type of innovative solutions that are good for our customers and our communities,” Northwest Vice President and General Manager J.T. Young said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: FPL Santa Rosa County solar energy site uses sheep for groundskeeping