I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

Dark Orange said:

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

Sheep?

Dark Orange said:

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

Complaints complaints!

Actually , something that had not occurred to me was the insurance coverage a farmer needs to consider , for having a property next to a solar farm and that is fire damage insurance if the fire starts on the farmer’s property which is prohibitively expensive or having a solar farm on their property that burns out another farmer’s property if there is a fault that triggers a fire is also prohibitively expensive to insure against.

These conversations would brought up on a TV show a couple of months ago but I think if the property consultation happens then it is cool to have solar farms we do need them

edits*These conversations were brought up on a TV show a couple of months ago but I think if the property consultation happens then it is cool to have solar farms we do need them

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

This is my first experience with it as well.

My thoughts on the practice:

Apparently the only livestock that won’t jump on, push, or eat the infrastructure are mature, Merino sheep.
It’s difficult to chase up lambing ewes through the panels, so they just keep the docile (neutered) males on site.

While the solar panels do shade the grass, the shade also helps in summer to prevent everything from drying out. The dew also collects on, and drips off, the panels which keeps everything green all year round.

Swings and roundabouts, but ultimately they can run as many sheep on a solar farm as they would if there were not any solar panels, with the only limitation being the type of livestock.

monkey skipper said:

Actually , something that had not occurred to me was the insurance coverage a farmer needs to consider , for having a property next to a solar farm and that is fire damage insurance if the fire starts on the farmer’s property which is prohibitively expensive or having a solar farm on their property that burns out another farmer’s property if there is a fault that triggers a fire is also prohibitively expensive to insure against.

These conversations would brought up on a TV show a couple of months ago but I think if the property consultation happens then it is cool to have solar farms we do need them

To be honest, solar farms are paranoid about fire and will have a fire break between the panels and the fence line, and a further fire break around the outside of the fence line. But this paranoia is about fires starting externally and damaging their equipment.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

Dark Orange said:

I suppose we should have a thread on them.

AMA.

I will do my best to answer.

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

I don’t recall such fecation. Seemed to make sense.

Dark Orange said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Dark Orange said:

And for a limited time only, I am on a solar farm that shares its real estate with livestock.

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

This is my first experience with it as well.

My thoughts on the practice:

Apparently the only livestock that won’t jump on, push, or eat the infrastructure are mature, Merino sheep.
It’s difficult to chase up lambing ewes through the panels, so they just keep the docile (neutered) males on site.

While the solar panels do shade the grass, the shade also helps in summer to prevent everything from drying out. The dew also collects on, and drips off, the panels which keeps everything green all year round.

Swings and roundabouts, but ultimately they can run as many sheep on a solar farm as they would if there were not any solar panels, with the only limitation being the type of livestock.

Yes. That was my understanding as well.

There area number of solar farms popping up around here.

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

Probably by me.

My experience thus-far has been on solar farms in the tropics who’s design prevents the inclusion of livestock.

These southern climes apparently require a less dense array of panels and higher supporting structures, allowing the consideration of alternate uses.

dv said:

OCDC said:

Ian said:

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

I don’t recall such fecation. Seemed to make sense.

IIRC you found a link supporting my claim.

OCDC said:

dv said:

OCDC said:

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

I don’t recall such fecation. Seemed to make sense.

IIRC you found a link supporting my claim.

…and it was a link to the farm I am currently working at :)

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

Not by me.

Dark Orange said:

OCDC said:

dv said:

I don’t recall such fecation. Seemed to make sense.

IIRC you found a link supporting my claim.

…and it was a link to the farm I am currently working at :)

Funny that.

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

It wasn’t my poo or pooh for that matter.

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

not by me as I mentioned it a while ago also.

ChrispenEvan said:

OCDC said:

Ian said:

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

not by me as I mentioned it a while ago also.

Yeah. It was on here quuite a while before but nobody reads my posts..

OCDC said:

Ian said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

How’s that working?

Just the other day I was reading something somewhere about how solar farms using agricultural land was a big problem.

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

we read it elsewhere more than a few weeks ago so as others seem to be claiming it doesn’t seem that the flinging of digestive by-product has been a dominant feature even if it was a demented feature

Ian said:

OCDC said:

Ian said:

I have heard a few reports of grazing sheep around/under solar farms being more productive.

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

It wasn’t my poo or pooh for that matter.

Wait isn’t CHINA building the most, doesn’t that mean that actually pooh is all over it¿

roughbarked said:

ChrispenEvan said:

OCDC said:

When I first mentioned it here a few weeks ago, I was pooh-poohed.

not by me as I mentioned it a while ago also.

Yeah. It was on here quuite a while before but nobody reads my posts..

You sound troubled my son.

Dark Orange said:

OCDC said:

dv said:

I don’t recall such fecation. Seemed to make sense.

IIRC you found a link supporting my claim.

…and it was a link to the farm I am currently working at :)

So it seems we are all in agreement…

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

Dark Orange said:

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

How long before the batteries have to be replaced.

Dark Orange said:

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

May I add safe battery storage is essential for running households and businesses during no sun capture period or low sun capture periods otherwise the system has to pull energy from the power grid.

Peak Warming Man said:

Dark Orange said:

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

How long before the batteries have to be replaced.

Domestic household with good quality batteries their self life is approximately 10 years ( to be running optimally). Which brings up back to the dual focus of Solar is the shelf life of the panels , the inverter and the battery storage for a household or a community street.

They have to factor in how to manage this , how to re-use the solar panel components and recycle the batteries

The inverter fails first though this immediately affects the capacity of the solar system there is another major issue where different suppliers have different ways for the parts to connect to the point sometime an entire solar system is replaced because they don’t have the parts to add to a system or partially repair a system

And domestic systems have to pass the shade check , a lot of urban shrubs , trees and more are being cutdown to install solar to pass the shade test

monkey skipper said:

And domestic systems have to pass the shade check , a lot of urban shrubs , trees and more are being cutdown to install solar to pass the shade test

They did say the future would be bright and to wear shades

Cymek said:

monkey skipper said:

And domestic systems have to pass the shade check , a lot of urban shrubs , trees and more are being cutdown to install solar to pass the shade test

They did say the future would be bright and to wear shades

Probably but managing co2 emissions with urban sprawl and maintaining urban habitats will become more difficult with less plants. On the other hand educating people to think about what type of energy sources they plan to have now and in their future , should be incorporated into their garden design so that plants aren’t above the roofline.

But then again designing houses with shades and light reduces reliance on heating and cooling ….. and so it goes on

Peak Warming Man said:

Dark Orange said:

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

How long before the batteries have to be replaced.

IDK about these sodium jobs but the Vandium Ion boys should be good for hundreds of years.

Peak Warming Man said:

Dark Orange said:

SCIENCE said:

Fk CHINA and their new age sodium ion batteries¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-24/core-lithium-hopes-for-price-revival-northern-territory-mine/104109556

Actually, battery storage is an essential part of making solar useful. Instead of building a 100MW solar farm that only produces 500MWh of juice in the middle of the day when nobody wants it, they can build a 50MW farm with 250MWh of battery storage and supply that juice when people actually need it.

How long before the batteries have to be replaced.

The unpopular reality is that it doesn’t matter. The battery technology used will be the one that makes the most profit in a reasonable timeframe.

And that’s not as bad as it sounds.

DO how many households does a solar farm run or does this vary? Are solar farms currently similar in size or no?

monkey skipper said:

DO how many households does a solar farm run or does this vary? Are solar farms currently similar in size or no?

Houses use about 3.5KW and 1MW should power around 285714.28 houses

roughbarked said:

monkey skipper said:

DO how many households does a solar farm run or does this vary? Are solar farms currently similar in size or no?

Houses use about 3.5KW and 1MW should power around 285714.28 houses

Surely you mean about 285.714285714286 houses.

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

monkey skipper said:

DO how many households does a solar farm run or does this vary? Are solar farms currently similar in size or no?

Houses use about 3.5KW and 1MW should power around 285714.28 houses

Surely you mean about 285.714285714286 houses.

I’m not the best at maths. ;)

roughbarked said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

Houses use about 3.5KW and 1MW should power around 285714.28 houses

Surely you mean about 285.714285714286 houses.

I’m not the best at maths. ;)

First rule of checking calculations:

Whenever someone uses a number written with a ridiculous level of precision, do a quick check on that number, there’s a good chance it’s out by an order of magnitude or 3 :)

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Surely you mean about 285.714285714286 houses.

I’m not the best at maths. ;)

First rule of checking calculations:

Whenever someone uses a number written with a ridiculous level of precision, do a quick check on that number, there’s a good chance it’s out by an order of magnitude or 3 :)

I’ll remember that. ;)

Probably not.

roughbarked said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

I’m not the best at maths. ;)

First rule of checking calculations:

Whenever someone uses a number written with a ridiculous level of precision, do a quick check on that number, there’s a good chance it’s out by an order of magnitude or 3 :)

I’ll remember that. ;)

Probably not.

an order of magnitude or pi yous mean

Average consumption for a household in Australia is about 1 kW, which is convenient.