The 2.2 megawatt plant is expected to produce enough electricity from its 5,000 solar units to power 740 four-person households.
Energy company Axpo expects the plant to be completed in September. However, weather conditions could affect the timetable as materials have to be brought in by helicopter to the remote site by the Muttsee dam in central Switzerland.
The plant is expected to cost CHF5.5 million ($6 million) but the future electricity output has already been sold, most notably to the Denner supermarket chain that has signed up for this electricity supply for the next 20 years.
It is being built at such a high elevation to avoid fog and low cloud that collects in the region. For this reason, it is expected to produce more electricity than lower-lying photovoltaic plants, including in winter.
The alpine state is decommissioning its nuclear power plants and intends to fill the energy gap from renewable sources.
Nearly 50% more solar panels were erected in Switzerland last year compared to 2019, covering 4.7% of Switzerland’s entire energy consumption (3.8% in 2019). But industry body Swissolar says the number of installations will have to increase 15-fold to meet renewable energy targets.
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The world’s first high-altitude floating solar power plant may be a sign of things to come for the global photovoltaic industry.
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Trump tariffs: ‘I’m a bit perplexed’, says former US ambassador to Switzerland
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The former US ambassador to Switzerland, Edward McMullen, says he is optimistic for the Alpine country with regard to the 31% tariff on imports imposed by US President Donald Trump.
Swiss Federal Court upholds Beny Steinmetz’s bribery conviction
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Switzerland's highest court has upheld the conviction of French-Israeli mining magnate Beny Steinmetz for bribery of foreign public officials.
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The Trump administration has imposed a 31% tariff on imports from Switzerland. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter has warned against "giving in to alarmism" in an interview published on Saturday,
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Scientists have shown that bonobos combine their calls into complex sound sequences that resemble combinations of human words.
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US parliamentarians have threatened the UN Human Rights Council with sanctions similar to those against the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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Thanks to abundant snowfall, lift operators benefited from increased visitor numbers, with the number of guests jumping by 12% year-on-year.
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Swiss solar power breaks records but still misses targets
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Despite a record-breaking increase in solar panel installation, Switzerland is far away from its target of shifting away from non-renewables.
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The world’s first high-altitude floating solar power plant may be a sign of things to come for the global photovoltaic industry.
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Is Switzerland, one of the world’s most environmentally conscious societies, in danger of moving backwards on green projects?
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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.