PV plant is installed in the Alps at an altitude of almost 2 thousand meters

Have you ever imagined a UFF (floating solar plant) installed at an altitude of 1.810 meters above sea level? This is already reality. An energy efficiency pilot project with 1,4 solar panels began operating in the Alps, Switzerland.

Implemented in a reservoir located on Lake Toules, the plant is supported on 36 floating aluminum and polyethylene structures that are anchored to the bottom. Current production is more than 800 thousand kWh per year.

In total, 2,35 million Swiss francs were invested. There, conditions are extreme: wind, ice, snow and temperatures ranging from minus 25 degrees to plus 30 degrees.

In addition to this, A solar plant will also be built in Switzerland at the Muttsee dam – the highest in Europe, located 25 thousand meters above sea level. Work will begin in June 2021.

According to Axpo, the Swiss company responsible for the project, the plant will have an installed capacity of 2 MW and annual electricity production of 2,7 GWh.

Benefits of floating solar plants

Floating solar systems have some characteristics that put them at an advantage over land-based plants. This is what engineer José Teixeira, a specialist in UFFs, said.

“The main advantage is that UFFs make the operation of the photovoltaic panel cooler, increasing efficiency in energy generation. When you raise the system above water you already have the enormous benefit of the natural cooling that this provides”, he explained.

“The second advantage is that they make it easier to clean the modules. For a land installation, for example, you have to take a water truck to the location, use the water to clean the module and it is still lost because it infiltrates the ground. In fact, there is a worrying consequence in these plants, which is the growth of weeds, which later need to be cut”, concluded the engineer.