Disadvantages of alpine solar plants (Switzerland)
Disadvantages of alpine solar plants (Switzerland)
- Construction of the solar system
The construction of an alpine solar installation is more complex than the construction of solar installations on houses, for example. The supporting structures must be designed for higher wind forces and for snow heights of three, four or more meters. Depending on the nature of the ground, the anchoring of the supporting structures is likely to involve a great deal of effort. The anchoring can also have a negative impact on the water balance in the ground.
Access roads often have to be extended or even newly built for construction. In some cases, transport cableways are used, which also have to be built first. Helicopters will be used on a large scale for the construction itself. At present, all these activities are associated with high CO2 emissions, which are eliminated when solar plants are built on existing infrastructure.
- Connection to the power grid
For alpine solar installations that are to be built far away from the nearest strong grid connection, a correspondingly long line must be constructed. In alpine (or high alpine) regions, such lines - whether installed above or below ground - must be protected against natural hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, etc.
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With rapid changes from sunny to shady and vice versa, large (alpine) solar installations also experience rapid changes between very high and very low energy production. These changes certainly do not have a stabilizing effect on the electricity grid.
- Dismantling of the plant
At the end of the solar cells' service life, the entire system must be dismantled and restored to its original state. Provided the operating company still exists and has sufficient funds, the former should be feasible with a corresponding amount of energy.
- Restoration
It would be very difficult to restore the area to its original state (including fauna and flora). The installation of the solar tables will reshuffle the cards for fauna and flora. What has developed and established itself in largely untouched alpine landscapes over decades to centuries cannot be restored on command once it has been disturbed.
- Space requirement
Alpine solar systems occupy large areas. The greater the output of the system, the larger the area required. This also applies to systems that are built on meadows in the lowlands, for example.
- Landscape view
In largely untouched alpine landscapes, the construction of a large solar plant represents a massive encroachment that severely impairs the landscape.
- South jam
In areas that are often affected by southerly storms, this weather situation poses an additional challenge. In southerly storms, high wind forces hit the solar panels head-on and exert correspondingly high forces on the four to six meter high solar panels, their anchoring and the ground.
In south-facing thaws, there is also a risk that the (damp) snow will be pressed onto the solar panels in such a way that it sticks and the system will produce virtually no energy until the snow thaws and falls away.
These problems are less common in areas with typical westerly, northerly and/or easterly winds.
- Lightning
Solar tables/solar panels that are installed in ridges are exposed to a greatly increased risk of lightning strikes. The consequences of lightning strikes in solar cells were investigated around 1995 in the laboratory for photovoltaics at the former Burgdorf School of Engineering (now part of the Bern University of Applied Sciences BFH).
- Invasive species
The construction of alpine solar plants can promote the spread of invasive species (invasive plants = neophytes, invasive animals = neozoa) in mountain areas. This can occur through the transportation of goods from all over the world (e.g. solar panels) or from the region (e.g. gravel and concrete). Accordingly, care must be taken when constructing alpine solar plants
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Invasive species threaten native species and biodiversity.
The bottom line is that the construction of alpine solar plants is likely to be associated with high costs. Even if no price is put on the damage to the landscape and fauna/flora. The further away the plant is from existing infrastructure, the higher the costs will be. These higher costs per kilowatt hour will have to be passed on in some form to companies and consumers. The subsidies of 60% also have to be generated first.
Inserted / updated: 10.5.2024 / 2.7.2024