Volkswagen cuts 100,000 employees but hires 100 sheep: they graze under 31,000 solar panels in Poland

While the Volkswagen group continues to be associated with reorganization plans that, according to rumors and estimates circulated in recent months, could translate into the cutting of tens of thousands of jobs, one of its plants is experiencing a curious "wave of hiring". No new workers or technicians, but 100 sheep, called to perform a specific task: to keep vegetation under control under one of the largest on-site industrial photovoltaic plants in Europe. Behind the irony of this contrast lies a project on agrivoltaics that aims to combine renewable energy production, biodiversity protection, and scientific research.

This is the goal of the project developed by Volkswagen Poznań in collaboration with Quanta Energy at the plant in Września, Poland. The plant, built and managed by Quanta Energy, has an installed capacity of 18.3 MW and is considered one of the largest on-site industrial photovoltaic plants in Europe. The production covers about 25% of the annual electricity needs of the Volkswagen plant.

The project introduces an agrivoltaic approach that replaces mechanical grass cutting with controlled grazing by animals. The 100 sheep, belonging to the native Polish breed Wielkopolska, graze among the over 31,000 photovoltaic modules, keeping the vegetation at an appropriate height without resorting to dedicated machinery. The panels also provide shaded areas and protection from the weather, creating favorable conditions during the hottest months.

According to Volkswagen, the initiative represents an example of how energy infrastructure can perform functions that go beyond simple electricity production, also contributing to the protection of biodiversity and support for local agricultural activities.

The plant also serves as a testing ground for one of the first studies of this kind conducted in Poland on a large photovoltaic site. Researchers from the University of Life Sciences in Poznań are analyzing the effects of agrivoltaics on animal welfare, microclimate, soil, and vegetation, particularly assessing whether the shading provided by the panels can reduce heat stress in the sheep and improve their living conditions. The aim of the research is to identify the most effective ways to integrate renewable energy production with agricultural land use, simultaneously maximizing environmental and operational benefits.

The choice of the breed employed also fits into the logic of the project. The Wielkopolska sheep are indeed a protected native breed under the Polish genetic resource conservation program. The flock will remain within the plant until autumn under the supervision of breeders from the sheep farm Owczarnia in Winna Góra. According to the breeders, the animals quickly adapted to their new environment. The fact that the flock spontaneously divides into small groups while grazing is interpreted as an indicator of calmness and good adaptation, as sheep tend to stay together when they perceive danger.

The Września experiment fits within the growing interest in agrivoltaics, a model that aims to make solar energy production compatible with agricultural land use, reducing the impact of maintenance activities while enhancing the ecosystems present within photovoltaic sites.