The first floating solar park in the Swiss Alps paid for itself in just 2.8 years

The solar panels on Lac des Toules were an excellent investment. Located on a reservoir 1,810 metres above sea level, this was Switzerland’s first floating photovoltaic system and quickly recouped its energy investment. Yes, in less than 3 years. But there’s a good reason for that!

Floating solar panels are increasingly being installed on reservoirs and irrigation reservoirs to generate energy and, at the same time, slow water evaporation in times of drought.
There is currently no shortage of water in the Swiss Alps. But they have just found an interesting reason to install floating photovoltaic cells.
High altitude solar panels
Em 2019, the Swiss company Romande Energie installed a park 448 kW floating solar panel on Lac des Toulesthe first installation of its kind located in a reservoir 1,810 meters above sea level.
With a total of 35 platforms covered with bifacial solar panels, these platforms occupy only 2% of the lake's surface and are anchored to the bottom during the warmer months, while for the rest of the year they rest on the bottom of the reservoir.

Amortized over 2.8 years due to radiation
The team from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences analyzed the floating installation on the lake and concluded that the small solar park pays back the energy investment in just 2.8 years, due to increased radiation.
The study assessed the environmental impact of the system, from the extraction of raw materials to the end of its useful life. The researchers compared this alpine installation with floating systems located at low altitudes, as well as with land-based installations.
The results show that the carbon footprint of the floating alpine system is approximately 94 g CO2-eq per kWh of electricity producedwhich is significantly lower than that of conventional solar installations.
Despite this proven efficiency, researchers conclude that there is still room to reduce the environmental impact and costs associated with these systems, for example by reducing the use of aluminum to make them more sustainable.