Largest solar power stations in Switzerland
Top biggest solar photovoltaic power stations in Switzerland.
(Updated October 2024)
Solar power stations, PV farms 2024 in Switzerland
| Name | Location | State | Capacity MWp or MWAC (*) | Annual Output GWh | Land Size km² | On grid | Remarks | Developer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lac des Toules solar farm |
Valais |
800 |
0.00224 |
2019 |
This is the world's first high-altitude floating solar farm |
Romande Energie |
Solar power in Switzerland
Solar power has grown quickly in Switzerland in recent years as system costs have decreased and the Swiss government has implemented a feed-in tariff. Cumulative capacity expanded by 69 percent to 730 megawatts (MW) in 2013, contributing 544-gigawatt hours (GWh) or 0.8 percent of the country's net electricity production.
Switzerland was a pioneer in solar photovoltaics in the 1980s and early 1990s, but it has since fallen behind its world-leading northern and southern neighbors, Germany and Italy. Nevertheless, the capped capacity that was set up to prevent uncontrolled expansion has been lifted in recent years as the government increased the levy on consumed electricity to pay for the feed-in tariff.
Approximately 320 megawatts were generated in 2014, bringing the total installed capacity to 1,076 MW and allowing Switzerland to join the group of twenty countries with a solar gigawatt market. According to the IEA-PVPS, installed capacity should be enough to generate up to 2% of domestic power consumption by the end of 2014, a significant increase from the 0.8 percent contributed by solar in 2013.
Lac des Toules
The solar plant at Lac des Toules is made up of 1,400 panels that are installed on 36 floating structures these structures are made up of polyethylene plastic and aluminum that are anchored to the lake's bottom. Currently, annual production reaches 800,000-kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is enough to power roughly 220 homes. Despite a significant upfront investment of CHF2.35 million more than a comparable installation on dry land would cost – the project has been a success. They can utilize light reflected from the water's surface, which increases the electrical yield, by using two-sided panels with photovoltaic cells on both front and back. They generate around 50% more electricity up there.
