A large alpine solar power plant is to be installed on the dam wall of Lake Lei near Ferrera in southeastern Switzerland. The 1,800 square-metre plant is being built by the Zurich Electricity Company.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
Located at an altitude of 1,930 metres, the plant will comprise more than 1,000 solar units with a total output of 350 kilowatts, equivalent to the consumption of 160 households. The construction costs are estimated at CHF800,000 ($850,000). Initial operation is scheduled for the end of September.
Lake Lei is located almost entirely on Italian territory. Only the dam, which has a height of 141 metres, is located on Swiss soil.
This is the second large-scale solar installation built by the Zurich Electricity Company on a dam. The other was commissioned in 2020 on the Albigna dam, also in canton Graubünden.
The largest alpine solar power plant in Switzerland is on the Lake Mutt dam in canton Glarus. It covers an area of 10,000 square metres and has a capacity of 2.2 megawatts.
The first photovoltaic plant in Europe was commissioned in 1982 near Lugano in southern Switzerland. The TISO (Ticino Solare) is still in operation and has an output of 10 kilowatts.
More
More
A dam that produces solar energy
This content was published on
The wall of the Albigna dam in Graubünden, south-east Switzerland, will be partly covered with solar panels. Another in Val Bregaglia will be the first large-scale high-altitude solar power plant in the Alps. Built sixty years ago, the Albigna dam will soon begin to produce solar energy as well. In recent weeks, over 1,200 photovoltaic…
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Vatican reprimands Swiss bishops for their handling of abuse allegations
This content was published on
The Vatican has reprimanded several Swiss bishops in connection with allegations of sexual abuse and their handling of it, including cover-ups.
Regional bus travel authorised between Italy and Switzerland
This content was published on
Passengers on public regional bus services between Italy and Switzerland will be able to board and alight within both countries.
Switzerland still gets poor marks on fighting corruption
This content was published on
Switzerland is still not getting good marks from the Council of Europe’s Group of States when it comes to fighting corruption.
Swiss man released after arrest in connection with Austrian bomb threats
This content was published on
A 20-year-old Swiss man was arrested under suspicion that he sent emails with bomb threats against numerous institutions in Austria.
Former top diplomats call on Switzerland to keep UNRWA funding
This content was published on
Some twenty former Swiss state secretaries, and ambassadors have called on the Swiss Senate not to stop payments to UNRWA.
Public prosecutor closes church abuse case in canton Valais
This content was published on
The Public Prosecutor's Office in the southern canton of Valais has closed the case of abuse perpetrated within the Church.
Number of women in Swiss labour market more than doubled in half century
This content was published on
According to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, women's participation in the labor market has more than doubled in half a century.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland builds biggest Alpine solar plant
This content was published on
Work has started on constructing Switzerland’s largest alpine photovoltaic power plant at an altitude of 2,500 metres above sea level.
This content was published on
The world’s first high-altitude floating solar power plant may be a sign of things to come for the global photovoltaic industry.
Why is solar power struggling to take off in Switzerland?
This content was published on
Despite being the second-biggest source of renewable energy in Switzerland, solar power is struggling to break through at a national level.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.