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The Jura is the cradle of large solar systems in Switzerland. But the current offensive seems to be overtaking him – at least for the time being.
The Mont Soleil, the sun mountain, is a mountain range in the Bernese Jura. The name says it all there: At 1,200 meters above sea level, sunlight is converted into electricity – there has been a large solar system there since 1992. The facility was and is primarily used for research.
The data material that BKW has is correspondingly extensive. The Bern energy group operates the facility. “It has been reliably supplying green electricity for over 30 years. A considerable proportion of this in the winter half-year,” says BKW media spokeswoman Marisa Fetzer.
Solar systems also make sense in the Jura.
The electricity production in the winter half-year is the crucial point. It is so important because Switzerland produces too little electricity itself during this time and has to import it from abroad. The solar offensive is now intended to make Switzerland more independent of neighboring countries in winter.
Legend:
The plant on Mont Soleil (pictured) supplies around 40 percent of the electricity in winter. This is comparable to the largest planned system in the Alps – in Grengiols in the canton of Valais. There, the initiators expect 42 percent winter electricity.
Keystone/Valentin Flauraud
Jürg Rohrer, Professor of Renewable Energies at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences, confirms that the Jura is also suitable for the solar offensive: “Solar systems also make sense in the Jura.”
Rohrer and his team have done a lot of research on solar systems at different locations in recent years. Their measurements also form the technical basis for the solar offensive.
Focus on alpine areas
Despite the good suitability of the Jura, potential investors are currently focusing exclusively on the Alps – and there on high-lying locations between 2,000 and 3,000 meters above sea level. This is understandable for Rohrer: “The higher you are, the greater the solar radiation.”
In addition, the snow there reflects more sunlight, which can be converted into additional electricity over a longer period of time. At the same time, the snow is also an obstacle in the current situation: it is still there at high altitude, while the Jura has long been free of snow: “You have more months per year to build than in the high Alps,” explains Rohrer.
The larger time window for the construction of a system is a decisive factor: in just two years – 2025 – part of a solar system will have to produce electricity. Otherwise, the federal government will not contribute to the investment costs. In addition, it is more complex in the Alps to bring thousands of solar panels and the corresponding substructures to remote areas.
Law as a “serious option”
Not so in the Jura, where many areas can be reached by truck. The energy companies and potential investors in such solar systems currently have to weigh up many aspects. This can also be seen at BKW, for example.
On the one hand, geographic location factors must be taken into account, namely solar radiation, explains media spokeswoman Fetzer. “On the other hand, any existing network infrastructures, the economic conditions and also the zoning legal framework must be examined.”
BKW has now submitted 13 connection requests for large solar systems. For reasons of confidentiality, the group has not yet announced which locations are involved. Other energy suppliers and investors are also reticent, but say behind the scenes that the Jura is a serious option for them. It can therefore be assumed that sooner or later solar projects will also be presented in the Jura.