Solar power is expected to be a key enabler for a transition to a low-carbon society. However, while it is an eligible activity in the EU taxonomy, it is not automatically considered to be a
The research team looked at solar facilities in Japan with a power generation capacity of at least 0.5 megawatts, and put together a package of digital data on them. The "Electrical Japan" database, which has basic
A new solar power invention seems to be solving the problem of Austria''s reduced sunlight during winter months. The so-called solar poplar - a tree-like construction placed on mountain tops - produces up to 10 times more
Mountain tops, on the other hand, are relatively ''fog-free.'' Snow boosts power generation. There is something else that mountain tops always have during the winter months – snow. The researchers also tried to
The placement of solar panels on snow-covered mountains can boost the production of electricity when it is most needed — in the cold, dark winter. Solar-power systems have long been hampered by a seasonal problem: the panels produce more energy in summer than in winter, at least in the mid-latitudes, where much of the planet’s population lives.
"One of the qualities of alpine solar plants is that, especially in winter, they produce up to three times more electricity than a comparable facility in the midlands," says Jeanette Schranz, communications lead for renewables at Swiss energy producer Axpo.
This high-altitude solar power plant sits in a stunning location, floating on a lake in between the Swiss Alps. This reservoir doubles as a floating solar power plant, smack back in the middle of the Swiss Alps.
The reflection from the snow helps solar power production at the AlpinSolar dam.REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Schranz says Switzerland's mountains are less affected by fog in colder months, meaning the panels see more sun than they would at lower altitudes.
The solar dam is helping the landlocked nation maximise its green energy production in the winter months. The Lake Muttsee dam, in the central Swiss canton of Glarus, is over 7,800 feet (2,400 metres) above sea level and is surrounded by snow-capped peaks - something that the team behind the AlpinSolar project says is a key benefit.
Schranz says Switzerland's mountains are less affected by fog in colder months, meaning the panels see more sun than they would at lower altitudes. "The reflection from the snow also helps," Schranz says, adding that "solar panels like the cold and have a higher yield in cooler temperatures."
