Countries worldwide are increasingly installing floating solar panels in ditches and reservoirs to generate energy while also slowing down water evaporation during times of drought.
In the Swiss Alps, there’s currently no shortage of water. However, there’s another interesting reason to install floating photovoltaic cells.
High-Altitude Solar Panels
In 2019, the Swiss company Romande Energie installed a 448 kW floating solar park on Lac des Toules, in Valais, a canton in southern Switzerland. It’s the first installation of its kind located on a reservoir at 5,940 feet above sea level.
The solar park consists of 35 platforms covered with bifacial solar panels, which occupy only 2% of the lake’s surface. These platforms float anchored to the bottom from June to December when the reservoir is full from snowmelt. The rest of the year, they rest on the ground.
Paid Off in 2.8 Years
A team at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences conducted a study on the floating solar installation on Lac des Toules. The researchers discovered that the small solar farm can recoup its energy investment, or the energy that was used to create the park, these in just 2.8 years due to the high radiation levels at the location.
The study examined the environmental impact of the system from the extraction of raw materials to its end-of-life. To do this, the team compared this mountain facility with floating systems at lower altitudes and land-based facilities.
The findings revealed that the carbon footprint of the floating Alpine system is around 94 g CO2eq per kWh of electricity generated, significantly lower than conventional solar installations.
Despite its efficiency, the researchers suggested that there’s still room to further reduce the environmental impact and costs of these systems, such as by minimizing the use of aluminum to enhance sustainability.
This article was written by Matías S. Zavia and originally published in Spanish on Xataka.
Image | Romande Energie
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