Winter electricity from the Alps is performing above average
The Madrisa Solar alpine solar power plant generated 1.5 gigawatt hours more electricity than forecast during the first half of the winter. The plant supplied more energy to the Klosters-Madrisa mountain railways than was required for their operation. The next phase of construction will begin in May.
The Madrisa Solar power plant generated around 1.5 gigawatt hours of electricity during the first winter half-year, from October to March. This means that production exceeded expectations, as Repower AG states in a press release. During its first winter of operation, around 3,600 solar modules were in operation, which corresponds to approximately 20 per cent of the planned total capacity.
The plant, which was the first alpine solar power plant in Switzerland to feed electricity into the grid, is located above Klosters at around 2,000 metres above sea level and is specifically designed for winter electricity production. Following the first snowfall, output rose by around 15 per cent thanks to the so-called albedo effect. The bifacial modules also utilise light reflected from the snow cover.
The electricity generated is used, amongst other things, directly to power the Klosters-Madrisa mountain railways. In combination with existing installations, more energy was produced during the first winter than was required to operate the winter season. With its output to date, Madrisa Solar has comfortably met the minimum production requirement of 500 kilowatt-hours per installed kilowatt of capacity stipulated under the national Solarexpress scheme.
The second construction phase is scheduled to begin in early May. Once completed, around 70 per cent of the plant is expected to be connected to the grid. Full commissioning is planned for the end of 2027. The developer of the alpine plant is Madrisa Solar AG, in which Repower, the Zurich Cantonal Electricity Works (EKZ) and the municipality of Klosters hold stakes.