Volkswagen Chattanooga 1 solar park and 50 animal mowers
“Green Job” is what they do. And they live the way many people only intend to: organically, sustainably and regeneratively. New to the “team” at Volkswagen Chattanooga, 50 sheep do a thorough, reliable job – over a huge area of 133,500 square metres, in which the solar panels that supply the Volkswagen plant are located.
The plant in Hamilton County in the US state of Tennessee opened in May 2011. The Volkswagen Group of America has been creating a wealth of jobs in the region bordering Georgia and Alabama ever since, and now employees more than 4,000 people. The ID.4 will be produced here in 2022. 50 very cute, woolly team players on the quiet side recently joined the team, which is a completely politically correct statement. They work tirelessly on their 200 legs and have already made themselves indispensable when it comes to solar power in Chattanooga – the flock of 50 sheep responsible for natural landscaping.
They take care of the impressive 33,600 solar panels in total. OK, not directly – and they aren’t allowed to do any of the technical work. But they do their job over an area of 133,500 square metres, where the solar panels are located. To make it easier to imagine: 50 sheep are grazing on 19 football pitches. No doubt that gives the hard-working mowers tight calves and full bellies, naturally. And it’s all for the benefit of the solar facility set up in 2013. Installed right next door to the Volkswagen plant, it is one of the largest facilities of its kind at an American automotive plant. At full production, the 9.5-megawatt solar facility provides up to 12.5 percent of the plant’s electricity requirements.
Natural caretaking on four legs
Silicon Ranch Corporation, located in Nashville, manages the solar facility for Volkswagen, alongside other renewable energy projects throughout the country. The adaptable grazing using sheep is known as “regenerative management”. The 50 four-legged creatures feed at Volkswagen in the name of sustainability: Erosion can become a serious problem at solar facilities, so healthy ground cover is important. As reliable helpers, the sheep graze on the grass all year long and in all temperatures. Animal teamwork also ensures safety, with “guard donkeys” raising the alarm when predators are on the prowl.
They rotate between four different areas at the solar facility, to give the grass a chance to regenerate and to ensure the ground isn’t overworked. “The sheep keep the grass short by grazing on it and walking over it, and the solar panels provide the sheep with shade, which reduces heat stress at the height of summer,” explained Loran Shallenberger, project manager for renewable energy at Silicon Ranch. “Regenerative grazing using sheep can have some important environmental benefits, as well as a second, stable source of income for our farming partners.” Unlike traditional mowers, the sheep can access hard-to-reach spots, which means the grass is cared for properly. And while the 50 sheep are grazing in Chattanooga, they are also fertilising the ground. Efficient and economical.
Grazers for the future
Solar park workspace: always plenty to do for the landscaping professionals at Volkswagen Chattanooga.
By generating renewable energy, the solar facility is one of many stages of the journey towards becoming a climate-neutral company. And the small detail of the Chattanooga “greenkeepers” is the perfect fit for Volkswagen’s systematic commitment to global climate protection. It is the most natural, environmentally friendly landscaping option. And the nicest – sheep are the best organic mowers around.
