Sustainable vegetation management methods in commercial photovoltaic plants

CONTEXT Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems are rapidly penetrating energy systems to replace fossil fuels. Their sustainable operation requires biodiversity-enhancing vegetation management to prevent panel shading and fire hazards. Sheep grazing is gaining interest for enabling new business models and revitalizing livestock trails, with European regulations increasingly mandating sheep-grazing over conventional methods as a sustainable practice. OBJECTIVE This article compares current PV plant grazing methods and analyses the implementation of sheep transhumance for PV vegetation management in dry Mediterranean climates. It proposes a transferable methodology for global rural, agricultural, and livestock regions adjacent to solar installations. METHODS A case study was conducted in the city with southern Spain's largest PV deployment (9 GWp accumulated), combined with GIS analysis of land-use correlations between energy installations and prior agricultural zones. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS GIS analysis revealed high spatial correlation between PV sites and historical land uses. However, a deficit of ≥250,000 sheep exists to graze all regional PV plants (∼60,000 sheep/GW-year). Closing this gap could save up to €3 M annually in the province alone (at €50/sheep-year). Nationwide, Spanish PV stakeholders could gain nearly €18 M/year, scaling to >€200 M/year across the EU. Sheep transhumance is thus a viable, economically beneficial solution for sustainable PV operations. SIGNIFICANCE This methodology enables scalable integration of renewable energy and pastoral agriculture, offering substantial cost savings, biodiversity gains, and economic opportunities for rural communities globally while supporting regulatory compliance.