A Tennessee solar company has developed a system that tilts solar panels out of the way when cattle wander onto a site, protecting both the animals and the infrastructure.
Sheep are commonly used to control vegetation on solar farms because they are small enough to move safely around the equipment. Adult cattle pose a far greater risk, as a collision with a panel can shift its position, sever cables or bring down an entire structure.
Silicon Ranch developed the system, called CattleTracker, after simpler solutions proved impractical. Raising panels high enough for cattle to pass underneath would require more structural material and leave the arrays more exposed to strong winds. Fencing only around the panels, with gaps between rows, left vegetation under the panels unmanaged.
Engineers needed a flexible solution that could adjust panel positions in real time as a herd moved across a site. CattleTracker’s grazing mode tilts rows vertically as cattle approach, lowering the bottom edges of the panels to clear a path and keep grazing zones open.
