Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Sheep Help Maintain Solar Array at Pa. University

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/27/21

Susquehanna University’s solar array was built in 2018, just outside the city of Selinsgrove, Pa. It generates about 3 MW of power to provide roughly 30 percent of the university’s energy supply. The array covers about 14 acres. And from April through November of each year, the university enlists help from an unconventional source to help keep the site maintained.

A flock of about 40 sheep from the nearby Owens Farm is given free rein to graze the area, proving just as effective and more sustainable than traditional lawn maintenance. “Their job is to graze. A sheep will eat—not just grass, but they’ll eat weeds and all kinds of vegetation,” said Caroline Owens of Owens Farm. “If you look at all the jobs that a sheep could have, this is number one.”

Susquehanna University solar array sheep

Derek Martin, the Assistant Director of Sustainability at Susquehanna University, explained the method behind the madness. “We’re eliminating the need for lawnmowing, which eliminates fossil fuels that need to be used on this property. At the same time, the sheep also fertilize our soil,” he said.

The sheep do more than just keep the grass short; they actively contribute to the health of the greenery and soil. “As the flock grazes, they also improve soil health, sequester carbon, support pollinator habitat, and build community goodwill while avoiding the risk of equipment damage from mowing activities,” said Owens, who’s also a member of the American Solar Grazing Association. “It’s truly a win-win for all parties.”

The partnership between the university and Owens Farm began in 2019. Owens Farm provides a breed of domestic sheep called Katahdin, which don’t produce wool but are known for pasture lambing and grass/forage-based management. The sheep are rotated throughout the 14 acres during their six months of service to ensure even maintenance across the entire space.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.

  • Planning with Clarity: Using AI to Make Better Campus Decisions, Not Just Better Designs

    Higher education leaders are being asked to make increasingly high-stakes decisions about campus facilities amid greater uncertainty than ever before. Social and economic pressures, shifting enrollment, and evolving learning models compete with growing deferred maintenance needs to strain even the most robust infrastructure budgets.

  • Virginia Tech Tops Out New College of Engineering Building

    Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., recently celebrated the topping out of Mitchell Hall, which will soon stand as the largest College of Engineering building on campus, according to a news release. The university partnered with Skanska on the 285,500-square-foot facility, which has an expected completion date of winter 2028.

  • Children walking along bright school corridor with motion blur

    How Next-Gen Design Is Reshaping the Student Experience

    The environments where students learn play a crucial role in shaping their growth in and out of the classroom. By centering design on well-being, flexibility, and purpose, districts can ensure their facilities remain vibrant community assets for many years to come.