Why farmers are pairing crops with solar panels

Traditionally, solar panel farms are quiet — save for the faint hum of the inverter. But on about one in ten of American solar farms, there's a new sound reverberating through fields: baaaa. Letting sheep roam under solar panels is just one of many forms of a burgeoning strategy called agrivoltaics, where crops grow or livestock graze in tandem with renewable energy infrastructure. It's not only of potential benefit for the animals, which get additional shade. The panels can also protect crops from the elements as well as divert water to them, creating cooler, damper conditions that even boost yields.