AlpinSolar, a joint venture of three Swiss companies, has completed the installation of 5,000 solar panels on the Muttsee lake dam. Located at an altitude of 2,500 m above sea level, it is the highest dam in Europe. Energy production here has now begun.

With projects like AlpinSolar, Switzerland is in the process of large-scale transition from nuclear power to green energy as planned since 2011. Last year, Switzerland also put into operation water batteries with storage capacity up to 20 million kWh for renewable energy storage.

Lake Muttsee is located in the state of Glarus 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 wall of the dam. This dam is also the construction of a hydroelectric power station. The width of the solar panel system is about one kilometer.

Axpo, the energy company in the joint venture, uses double-glazed panels made by another Swiss company, Megasol. With frames 40mm thick, they can withstand the expected amount of snow.

While installing solar cells in the snowy mountains may seem odd, Axpo expects them to perform well here, especially in winter. The reason is that the lower altitude areas are covered with fog during winter, but the sun still shines brightly in the higher places in Switzerland.

Another benefit is that the white snow helps to reflect light onto the solar panels. This type of battery also gives higher productivity when operating at lower temperatures. Axpo expects the system to generate three times as much energy during the winter months, such as February and March, compared to the rest of the year.