In a bid on environmental sustainability, the Volkswagen plant in Poznań (Poland) decided to invest in a project with about 100 sheep to keep the grass trimmed – replacing the mechanical cutting.
© Rafal Pijanski / Volkswagen
14/07/2026
by
News to Minutes
A factory of Construction companies in Poznań (Poland) decided to “replace” the human labor and mechanical cutting of the grass for a more sustainable and old-fashioned solution: hired about 100 sheep, in a project initiated agrovoltaic in april.
Under the care of the creators, by october, the herd is grazing on the fifth photovoltaic plant – which allows to maintain natural controlled vegetation. With less human intervention through mechanical means. And the costs can also be lower.
The area with about 27 hectares includes more than 31 thousand solar panels. It is therefore a double focus on environmental sustainability, and the energy generated from the sun can be enough for about 25 percent of the annual needs electricity. And on certain days, it can make the infrastructure totally independent energetically.
The project involves the University of Life Sciences of Poznań, with researchers from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics and the Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering to analyze “the impact of agrovoltaic on animal welfare, animal behavior and the functioning of the entire ecosystem under a photovoltaic installation”, reads in a statement.
Marzena Pillich-Grońska, director of the Volkswagen plant in Poznań, commented: “The fifth PV today produces more than just clean energy. It has also become a place where we support biodiversity, local agriculture and the development of scientific knowledge. The shepherding of sheep shows that modern industry can work in harmony with nature.”.