Resources
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Key benefits
BAR SOLAR GRAZE is a long-term solution when using livestock to maintain the grass in between the panels. Sheep and free-ranging poultry have already been successfully employed to manage grassland in solar farms while demonstrating dual-purpose land use.
Low-intensity grazing can provide a cost-effective way of managing grassland in solar farms while increasing its value.
BAR SOLAR GRAZE may benefit from overseeding every 3-5 years to ensure the sward remains high in quality for livestock.
The BARSOLAR range
Mixes designed for farmers taking advantage of open fields for solar farms, and contractors or developers looking for ways to repair the ground once the solar modules have been installed. These products have been formulated specifically to be established where solar panels are to be installed, meeting the requirements of low maintenance cover, or a solid long-term option for grazing.
Solar panels are usually mounted 1.5 - 2.5 metres above the ground, and grass is an ideal crop to grow beneath them. The BAR SOLAR range offers low and slow growing grass to keep maintenance to a minimum, with varieties suited for cover and the option to graze. Varieties have been selected for their quality and the ability to cope with lower light levels as well as providing low growth coupled with turf aesthetics, excellent shade and drought tolerance, while delivering a good dark green colour.
The effects of grass on soils and soil structure, wildlife habitats, wildlife species and the character of the landscape, and how they are used on solar farms, can lead to biodiversity enhancement, by creating pollen-rich margins for bees and butterflies.
A biodiversity report by the BRE National Solar Centre shows that many species could benefit from the light and shade environment provided by solar arrays.