Volkswagen hires 100 sheep to graze at its solar farm in Poland

Volkswagen has brought on an unusual workforce: 100 sheep now graze at the solar farm that powers the company's manufacturing plant in Poznań, Poland.

The sheep are not just replacing lawn mowers; they are part of a larger research project on agrivoltaics, led by the Poznań University of Life Sciences. The study will examine how grazing affects animal welfare, biodiversity, soil quality, vegetation, and the microclimate at the site.

Marzena Pillich-Grońska, director of Volkswagen Poznań, commented that the photovoltaic farm now delivers more than green electricity — it also supports biodiversity, local agriculture, and scientific research. She stated that the sheep grazing project demonstrates that modern industry can coexist with nature.

The solar farm was built by Quanta Energy, which posted a video showing the sheep on site. Agrivoltaics is gaining traction in the energy industry as a way to use land for both energy and agriculture. Similar experiments have involved crops grown under solar panels, but incorporating livestock is a novel and appealing approach.