Volkswagen has replaced mechanical lawnmowers with a flock of 100 sheep beneath more than 31,000 solar panels powering the company's manufacturing plant in Poland.

The photovoltaic farm is one of Europe's largest on-site solar installations.

On sunny days, it can meet the plant's entire electricity demand and supplies around 25% of its annual electricity consumption.

Built and managed by Quanta Energy, the 18.3MW installation combines renewable electricity generation, biodiversity protection and scientific research.

Sheep

Marzena Pillich-Gronska, director of the Volkswagen Poznan plant, said the photovoltaic farm "delivers much more than green electricity".

"It has also become a place where we support biodiversity, local agriculture and scientific research.

"The sheep grazing project demonstrates that modern industry can work in harmony with nature," she said.

The project is being carried out in cooperation with Poznan University of Life Sciences.

The research is among the first of its kind to be conducted at a utility-scale photovoltaic farm in Poland.

"We are studying how photovoltaic installations affect animal welfare, the local ecosystem and whether the shade created by solar panels reduces heat stress in animals," Dr Joanna Składanowska-Baryza from Poznan University of Life Sciences, said.

"At the same time, we analyse changes in the microclimate, vegetation and soil to identify solutions that support the effective integration of renewable energy generation with agricultural activity," she said.

The sheep will graze at the site until autumn, under the supervision of experienced breeders, removing the need for mechanical mowing.

Justyna Nowak-Gajek, who owns the flock, said the sheep have "adapted very well to their new environment".

"We can clearly see that the flock feels safe — the sheep naturally split into smaller groups and graze calmly in different parts of the solar farm.

"This is the best evidence that they have adapted well to these conditions, because a flock that feels threatened always stays together," she said.