Silicon Ranch pioneers CattleTracker for sustainable solar ranching
Solar companies have long integrated sheep grazing into solar farms, but Silicon Ranch is now exploring a bigger opportunity—cattle. Its innovative CattleTracker system aims to merge solar power production with cattle grazing across the United States, offering an eco-friendly and economically viable land use model.
Silicon Ranch, a Tennessee-based renewable energy company, developed CattleTracker to adjust the position of solar panels depending on livestock activity. The panels tilt horizontally when cattle are near to avoid contact and revert to regular tracking when animals are relocated. This design balances power generation with animal safety.
The first commercial deployment is at the Christiana Solar Farm in Tennessee. The project demonstrates how renewable energy companies can expand beyond small research trials to commercial-scale operations. With over 150 projects, Silicon Ranch hopes to make cattle grazing a practical solution for large solar farms.
CattleTracker also addresses concerns that solar energy competes with agricultural land. The model offers dual use—energy and food—supporting biodiversity and soil carbon storage. The approach helps farmers reduce maintenance costs while maintaining productive pastures.
Although government support for renewable energy has decreased under current policies, Silicon Ranch remains confident in self-sustaining business models. “I don’t think that there should be agrivoltaic subsidies,” said Chief Technology Officer Nick de Vries. “You should strive for a good business solution, and then find what’s going to make it replicable, not limited to grants.”
If successful, this integration could transform how ranchers and solar companies share land, driving the next evolution of agrivoltaics in American agriculture.
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