Episode Details

A group of sheep on farmland in the American state of Texas work together to complete a job: eating the grass growing beneath hundreds of solar panels. 

美国得克萨斯州农田里的一群羊共同完成一项工作：吃掉数百块太阳能电池板下生长的草。 

Sheep have become a symbol of a growing solar industry as large-scale solar farms appear across the United States. 

由于大型太阳能农场出现在美国，绵羊已成为不断发展的太阳能行业的象征。

In Milam County, Texas, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country. It can produce 900 megawatts of power across 1,618 hectares. 

Energy 在德克萨斯州米拉姆县运营着该国第五大太阳能项目。它占地 1,618 公顷，可发电 900 兆瓦。 

So, how does the company deal with all the grass that grows on such a large piece of land? It deploys about 3,000 sheep that keep the grass cover low. Sheep, unlike devices such as lawnmowers, can fit between small spaces and work in all kinds of weather conditions. 

那么，该公司如何处理在如此大的土地上生长的所有草？它部署了约3,000只绵羊，使草覆盖较低。与割草机等设备不同，绵羊可以适合小空间，并在各种天气条件下工作。 

The work of the sheep, and sometimes other animals, is called solar grazing. It is considered part of the larger idea of agrivoltaics --- the use of land for both solar energy production and agriculture.

绵羊，有时甚至其他动物的工作称为太阳放牧。它被认为是Agrivoltaics更大概念的一部分 - - 将土地用于太阳能生产和农业。

The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that solar grazing may help the environment in several ways. These include making grassy areas safer for wild animals, like nesting ground birds, and by reducing fuel use and air pollution. 

美国农业部表示，太阳能放牧可以通过多种方式改善环境。其中包括使草地对野生动物（例如筑巢的地面鸟类）更加安全，以及减少燃料使用和空气污染。

Agrivoltaics is on the rise with more than 60 solar