The longest dam in Switzerland, the Lake Muttsee Dam in Glarus now has over 5000 solar panels attached to it. These solar panels generate 3.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year, enough to power around 700 homes. The country hopes to boost its green energy generation throughout the winter months with this initiative slated to harness power of sun and snow via Switzerland solar dam. The solar panels are already installed by Axpo, and production will start this year itself.
Glarus is situated in snow-capped peaks, approximately 2,400 meters above sea level, which the AlpinSolar project team claims is a crucial asset. The team has also iterated that, the solar plants in the alpine region are said to produce more electricity than the ones in the other areas. Their productivity is 3 times as compared to the others, making these panels much more efficient in the long run. According to Axpo’s communications lead, Jeanette Schranz, the higher altitudes during winter see less fog, unlike the midland areas. This means a clearer sky for the sunlight to reach the solar panels. Also, as per experts, the reflection of the sun on the panels and the colder conditions help increase the productivity of Switzerland’s solar dam.
As per Axpo’s tweet, AlpinSolar is part of Axpo’s bigger plan to deploy 4,200 solar installations in Switzerland’s mountains and midland regions by 2030. All these plans and strategies are put into place to reach the common goal of government and industries to increase green energy production and usage. And a well-balanced power mix is critical to Switzerland’s shift to green energy, which these alpine solar plants can help significantly.
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The Swiss government is also aiming to make it simpler for solar energy to be used more widely. The country’s push for more environmentally friendly energy sources, like this Green Energy initiative, Switzerland solar dam is linked to its intention to rule out nuclear power and to harness the combined power of sun and snow. Notably, the Federal Parliament modified the country’s Electricity Act last year to expedite the clearance procedure for new solar projects that seek to provide considerable amounts of energy during the cold months.