Irish farmer builds solar farm on 1.5 acres, powers 150 homes while sheep graze beneath panels

An Irish dairy farmer has turned a small part of his land into a commercial clean energy project, setting a national example of how farms can earn income from renewable power. Sean Keating, a farmer in Meadstown, Kildorrery, County Cork, used just 1.5 acres of his 110-acre farm to build Meadhill Solar Farm. The project is the first operational solar farm in Ireland to receive support under the government's Small-Scale Renewable Energy Support Scheme (SRESS). The ground-mounted solar farm has 1,008 Longi 645W solar panels installed by PV Generation. The system can produce up to 650 kWp of electricity and is expected to generate between 600 and 650 megawatt-hours of clean power each year. This is enough electricity to supply around 150 local homes while preventing an estimated 100 to 120 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.Dual land use keeps livestock grazingInstead of removing farmland from agricultural use, the project was designed to serve two purposes. The solar panels produce electricity above ground, while sheep continue to graze on the grass beneath the supporting structures. Keating said the idea began nearly a decade ago as part of a long-term plan to protect his fa...