Above: Verzasca (or Contra) Dam: Photo by Francesco Amberg Currently being renovated, the 220m high arch dam became famous when featured in a 1995 James Bond film. It is considered to be one of the best bungee jumping locations in the world.
Above: MUTTSEE Dam: Photo by Axpo AG Muttsee Dam, part of the Limmern pumped storage plant, has become the location of the largest alpine solar plant in Switzerland. Almost 5000 solar panels have been installed on the south facing walls of the dam and this 2.2MW project, which was constructed 2500 metres above sea level and started producing electricity in October 2021, will produce around 3.3M KWh of electricity per year. Muttsee Dam has an optimal south-facing orientation, and its alpine location means that the solar plant will deliver half of its
production during the colder half of the year – a time when the sun is generally in short supply in Switzerland. This contrasts with solar plants at lower elevations that only produce around a quarter of their electricity production during the same period.
Right: TOULES Dam: Photo by Romande Energie SA The world’s first high attitude floating solar power plant has been constructed at the 1810m high Toules Dam in the canon of Valais. Built in the winter of 2019, the plant is described as a “stunning feat of engineering” and comprises 2240m2 of bifacial solar panels floating on the reservoir. Floating solar power
plants situated in the Alpine cantons are reported to generate 50% more power than those at a lower altitude. The project was also awarded the 2021 Watt d’Or prize for its pioneering technology.