SWITZERLAND – The solar panel system on the dam of Lake Muttsee is expected to produce 3.3 million kilowatts of electricity per year, enough to power 700 homes.
AlpinSolar, a joint venture of three Swiss companies, completed the installation of 5,000 solar panels on the Muttsee Lake dam, Interesting Engineering reported on February 7. Located at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level, this is the highest dam in Europe. Energy production here has now begun.
With projects like AlpinSolar, Switzerland is in the process of large-scale conversion from nuclear power to green energy according to a plan set out in 2011. Last year, Switzerland also put into operation water batteries with storage capacity. Store up to 20 million kWh for renewable energy storage.
Muttsee Lake is located in the state of Glarus and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks. The AlpinSolar project aims to generate 3.3 million kilowatts of electricity per year to power 700 homes.
5,000 solar panels are lined up along the dam wall. This dam is also the project of a hydroelectric plant. The width of the solar panel system is about one kilometer.
Axpo, the energy company in the joint venture, uses bifacial glass panels produced by another Swiss company, Megasol. With a 40mm thick frame, they can withstand the amount of snow expected to fall.
Although it may seem strange to install solar panels in snowy mountains, Axpo expects them to work well here, especially in winter. The reason is that areas at lower altitudes are covered in fog during the winter, but the sun still shines brightly in higher places in Switzerland.
Another benefit is that the white snow helps reflect light onto the solar panels. This type of battery also provides higher productivity when operating at lower temperatures. Axpo expects the system to generate three times more energy during the winter months, such as February and March, than during the rest of the year.
Source: VnExpress
