Alpiq intends to develop Switzerland's biggest solar plant in the Alps

• Energie Electrique du Simplon (EES), a subsidiary of Swiss electricity producer Alpiq, is planning to build an 18-MW solar park in the Swiss Alps to make use of strong solar radiation at high elevations throughout the year.

The Gondosolar plant is readied to be built in the Alpjerung area above the village of Gondo in the canton of Valais at an altitude of between 2,000 metres and 2,200 metres, Alpiq claimed on Monday. As many as 4,500 bifacial photovoltaic panels mounted on a location of 100,000 square metres (119,599 sq yd) are expected to produce concerning 23.3 million kWh of power which will be enough to provide a minimum of 5,200 families. An underground cable television will certainly transport the electricity to the existing Gabi substation.

The ability of the center will certainly be improved by the more powerful solar radiation at the high elevation, backed by the representation of sunshine by the snow and low temperature levels, which should make sure two times as much electrical power production per square metre as a plant in the Swiss lowlands. More than half of the electrical power will certainly be generated in the winter which would certainly make the site much more important for protecting a secure electricity supply in the winter season, according to Alpiq.

The project was presented on Monday in the community of Brig and also the following step is to send an application to be consisted of in the cantonal support preparation. Its realisation will certainly cost regarding CHF 42 million (USD 45.4 m/EUR 39.8 m). Alpiq claimed an expediency study has actually revealed that the project is financially practical in case the prepared subsidy design in Switzerland is authorized as well as the project gets the maximum aid of 60%.

Gondosolar is backed by the district of Gondo-Zwischbergen, project initiator Renato Jordan, that owns the plot of land for the facility, and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW).