Solar Park Grazing

[beeftug]

Just been offered the grazing of some solar parks, quite a big acreage, anyone graze these places? Haven't looked at the grass yet but the agent said there's lots of it! Worth a punt ?

 

[Great In Grass]

@Romney_Rob

 

[vinnie123]

Needs to be free, in fact They should pay you. If you don't graze it some poor bugger with a strimmer will be busy

 

[Spuddler]

I was talking to someone who has some solar keep locally, biggest trouble he finds the engineers have 24 hour access and quite often leaving the gates open, as said really there needs to be an incentive to have it

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

Make sure you put plenty of Clik on.
Trying to round them up is difficult, you need to get them to make a penning area if possible and do not pay anything. We graze a couple and they can be a pain.

 

[Keepers]

Rounding up is a pain, checking is a pain, engineers are a pain

You should be paid to graze it

 

[beeftug]

Thanks for comments, think I'll ask how much they will pay me to graze it!

 

[Si85]

A friend who has sheep on solar farm said he's weary of the sheep been cornered and running up the panels and damaging them. Just something to consider in your agreements, along with damage to cables, because he's seen some cables chewed by his sheep already.

 

[Chasingmytail]

Non horned sheep are part of the agreement. Not sure about chewed cables if they are constructed professionally, love to see a sheep on a panel???? We are going for herbal lay. If its good tack at low price why not?

 

[capfits]

Probably worth a punt, if for nowt or small payment for extra labour required for all the reasons that others have mentioned.
Just remember though the grass ain't getting the sunshine so will not be as much produced as in a normal field, along with fact it will not have been fertilised etc.

 

[100percent]

Can't believe the negatives here! If it's handy to you it must be worth something? Dog will gather them out no bother and no doubt it will be long term a good chance to expand a bit maybe, get it taken on before Somebody else does

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Not wanting to jump on the negative vibe so I do apologise in advance. I have contract drilled a few fields now with grass in front of solar panel installation and the seed they have provided has been fairly poor mixes more suited to amenity situations rather than good fodder. It was similar to what I have drilled previously in car parks and was meant to be slow growing and hard wearing. If there is plenty grass there and is free of charge then it is worth running the sheep on and seeing how you get on. You can always refuse to send them again if it isn't worth the hassle. I would definitely not be opening up the cheque book for the privilege though.

 

[Socksitis]

Would also want all liability for the panels not to be yours.

 

[pellow]

Have a solar park but no sheep, no payment but sheep man is happy with security of 8 foot high fences! Panels were all wired with sheep in mind, wires kept up high and some areas fenced off, panel owner has removed any responsibility of damage, the company that maintain the electrics on the pannels have started a grass cutting business and are being twits about trying to take the jobs from the sheep

 

[beeftug]

Went to look at the solar park today, the fencing is excellent! Not even the craftiest welsh mountain sheep could escape! The grass however is poor, they never thought of sowing some decent grass and instead all the weed grasses have grown. I have offered to top it at a price then sprinkle some fodder rape and rye grass on if they let me have it for a couple of years. The panels are 25 ft apart and are the big ones, you could even set some lambing pens up under them!

 

[IH 684]

Give a bit of hard feed in troughs a week or two before you catch them

 

[Romney_Rob]

Just seen this sorry! We graze almost 200 acres of panels give me a call if you have any questions

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Any advice on the best / easiest way to clean the panels?

 

[Great In Grass]

 

[Exfarmer]

Any advice on the best / easiest way to clean the panels?

Not sure if it is worth the effort. Just had some cleaned with pure water and brush but cost will take a fair few weeks of sunshine to pay