This was a planned solar power station in the Valais Alps, launched in an article published by a local newspaper. The article’s author was politician and former chairman of the Swiss Social Democratic Party (1987-1997) Peter Bodenmann. The article, titled “Make Grengiols Great Again!” and published in the “Walliser Bote” in February 2022, sang the praises of a potential facility that would generate a billion kilowatt hours of electricity, mainly available during the winter. The Grengiols meadows, located in the Binn Valley natural park, were to host two-sided solar panels spanning an area equivalent to 700 football pitches. This site, supported by the town of Grengiols, would meet the electricity requirements of at least 100,000 inhabitants. As a bonus, these panels would be twice as effective as normal, owing to the altitude and the sunlight levels. Grengiols solar megastation: a case in point to build gigantic installations on empty sites, but we don’t have the political will to fit them to roofs, car parks or motorways,” he laments. When contacted in his hotel in Brig, Peter Bodenmann dismissed these arguments. What about the fact that the calculations of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland and the University of Geneva show that transporting electricity from Grengiols to the valley will pose technical problems? “Those people are misinformed,” replies Bodenmann. How about the impact on the environment? “The panels will promote biodiversity by creating areas that are protected from the heat.” “We have a problem in the winter. But the panels installed at high altitude will be able to generate four times as much power as those at ground level,” concludes the former Socialist Party chairman. (SH) Planning are a step in the right direction. “Solar panels are twice as effective at high altitude,” he explains. Solar panels on train tracks and motorways In the view of engineer and professor at EPFL, Jean-Louis Scartezzini, the focus must be on fitting solar panels to roofs, railways and motorways. All these potential locations are already connected to the power grid and are in close proximity to consumers. The building physics expert cites the fact that there are 850 square kilometres of roads in Switzerland and 500 square kilometres of roofs. Scartezzini also emphasises the need to strike a balance between producing energy and protecting the environment. “Switzerland has lost two-thirds of its insect mass since 1990, which is having incalculable consequences on biodiversity and on life in general. We have to take this into account.” Converting alpine pastures into industrial solar energy sites would therefore involve a risk disproportionate to the reward, he believes. “This facility could be built right now,” centrist Valais Member of the Council of States Beat Rieder told the media, which conveyed Peter Bodenmann’s idea to the government in Berne. The government then passed September’s legislative programme at record speed in order to promote solar energy. This project triggered a wave of protest from environmental organisations, especially from the Franz Weber Foundation. Even the Swiss Academy of Sciences urged caution. Member of the National Council for the Green Party Christophe Clivaz (VS) condemned the fact that no feasibility study had been carried out for the scheme. He believes that the operator Swissgrid will be unable to transport current to the valley within the deadline imposed by this urgent law, which makes the subsidies contingent on the facility being operational by 2025. “We can manage The Alpine countryside in Grengiols today (left picture) – and a simulation of the planned project by IG Saflischtal. It is critically opposed to the proposal. Image materials: IG Saflischtal “Forty years ago, our message fell on deaf ears. Now, conditions are favourable for renewable energies, and for photovoltaic power in particular.” Jean-Louis Scartezzini engineer and professor at EPFL Swiss Review / January 2023 / No.1 6 Focus
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