29 sheep returned to sun2live airport facility in Antigua
The 3 MWp sun2live solar power plant at the V.C. Bird International Airport Antigua has once again become home for a flock of sheep. After having accomplished the repair of the fence surrounding the facility, the clean energy provider PV Energy, a UK-based joint venture of The meeco Group, could retrieve 29 sheep to the facility last week.
The large-scale sun2live airport solar power plant in Antigua, engineered, installed and maintained by PV Energy, showcases perfectly how such huge installations can be integrated in the landscape while maintaining the local environmental conditions and even creating new habitats. After the facility’s commissioning in December 2015, sheep have been deployed in order to manage the grassland around the installation. Since the security fence protecting the solar plant as well as the animals had been damaged, the flock had to be moved to a safer place for a short period of time.
The sun2live airport facility offers perfect living conditions for the sheep.
Last week, meeco’s joint venture PV Energy completed the repair of the fence and consequently allowed the return of 29 sheep on site. Due to the close relation with the owner of the animals, the “sustainable lawn mowers” could come back. While they are ensuring that the grass around the plant is kept short and in good order, the animals can benefit from food and water and the shade, the installation provides.
The repair of the fence allowed the return of the flock of sheep.
Besides this special project at the Caribbean airport, meeco takes further measures in order to increase the biodiversity value of its solar facilities worldwide, such as maintaining natural habitats like hedgerows and field margins and building security fences to prevent bigger animals from approaching the plants and to create a habitat for growing climbers offering nectar sources at the same time. During the construction phase of each installation, biologists are consulted to agree on the necessary procedure.
The ‘sustainable lawn mowers’ manage the grassland around the installation.
The installation of Antigua’s airport solar power plant marked the first step to shift from a diesel to a solar-based energy supply on the Caribbean twin-island state. Within the scope of a 10 MWp clean energy project cluster, the government of Antigua and Barbuda (GOAB) together with PV Energy realises numerous solar projects to foster a sustainable development including the construction of further large-scale facilities as well as the provision of schools and national houses with solar installations. Promoting clean and renewable energy and at the same time taking care of the protection of environmental conditions and the maintenance of biodiversity represents exactly meeco’s guideline: Sustainability is our commitment!
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