this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026

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Switzerland bolted 5,000 solar panels onto a dam wall 8,000 feet up in the freezing Alps. The plant now makes three times more winter power than any farm down in the valleys (www.ecoportal.net)

submitted 2 months ago by UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

196 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Up on the dam, almost everything that looks like a problem becomes an advantage.

The plant sits above the fog line, in thin, clear air that lets far more sunlight through.

The higher you go, the stronger and cleaner the sunlight becomes.

Cold actually helps, because solar panels work more efficiently when they are not baking in heat.

And then there is the snow, which acts like a giant mirror, bouncing extra light up onto the panels from below.

Scientists call it the albedo effect, and it can lift a mountain plant’s output well beyond anything possible in the valley.

A test site at a similar height recorded yearly output far above a typical Swiss plant.

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[–] HrabiaVulpes@europe.pub 7 points 2 months ago

Splendid! It solves the issue with south-facing panels overheating.

[–] brb@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

That's cool and all but when are we getting a dyson sphere?

[–] LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

A Dyson swarm is already being built. Every solar powered satellite is part of it.

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[–] Snapz@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Quite a dam advancement.

An example of some great dam thinking by a group of smart dam people.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 6 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Maintenance access looks like a pain in the ass, and I would wonder about possible issues with snow/ice buildup and load limits, but otherw8se this is a nice use of the space.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Had a friend who did maintenance work on cell phone towers. Where some people see danger, others see a fat paycheck.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Maybe they have to clear it off the dam anyway, so the cost is sort of amortized?

And/or maybe the steep angle helps?

I mention it because that concrete looks clear of ice/snow to me.

[–] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (5 children)

Concrete has a lot of thermal mass. I could believe that it stays warm enough that ice can't stay on the surface, especially with a reservoir of non-frozen water behind it.

The steel brackets and aluminum panel frames will get a lot colder, especially with wind blowing around them. Basically the same principle as a bridge forming ice before the road on either side of it. An exposed metal frame with a wind chill can develop ice even if the average temperature around it is above freezing.

Hmm... and that makes me wonder if the solar array bolted to the concrete surface acts like a heatsink? That would be an interesting unintended consequence.

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[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 4 points 2 months ago

Got news about snow and ice in Switzerland: it happens in the valleys during winter just as heavy as it ever does at the higher elevations.

[–] DahGangalang@infosec.pub 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

The high temperature efficiency drop off of solar panels is something I've only recently become aware of, but am glad this helps with that.

Even in hotter areas, I'll bet a vertical / near vertical orientation would help them vent heat (if placed on dams there).

Does anyone have any specific experience with this kind of engineering to confirm/deny that would actually help?

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[–] iconic_admin@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (4 children)

The solar plant makes more power than any farm in the valley. It’s hard for me to understand this. Farms make crops in my mind, not power. It’s just an odd comparison. Am I reading this wrong? Am I being a dumb dumb?

[–] Waraugh@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 months ago

I don’t know what they are in comparison size wise but I feel like solar farm is pretty standard terminology but the mixed use threw me a bit at first also.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

The solar plant makes more power than any farm in the valley.

You'll want to read the article. Solar farms in the valley have to deal with fog during the winter months, which drastically reduces the energy they produce.

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[–] drath@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Stupid question, never wondered how dams are constructed (and location chosen): Isn't there a risk of them being flooded, like in an emergency dump scenario?

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