Agrivoltaic grazing systems in Queensland The potential, challenges, and opportunities for the coexistence of grazing and solar power plants in Queensland

Abstract

This report provides a review of the potential, challenges, and opportunities for the co-existence of grazing systems and utility-scale solar energy production in Queensland. This preliminary review and analysis indicates that solar power plants and livestock grazing need not be mutually exclusive. There has been a lack of uptake of cattle co-grazing in Australia (and internationally) and further work is required to identify the particular impediments that apply and whether these can be overcome. Flocks of meat sheep are relatively rare in the regions of eastern Queensland where the majority of solar power plants are proposed for development. Further work is required to identify whether flocks of meat sheep can be established and expanded in these regions to undertake the amount of grazing likely to become available on solar power plants (i.e. ca. 100,000 ha).