Solar offensive: Swiss voters reject plans for giant solar parks in unspoilt Alps
A vote on Sunday saw Swiss voters reject plans to fund and accelerate large solar power projects on mountainsides.
Voters in a southern Swiss region have rejected plans to allow large solar farms to be constructed in the Alps.
The proposal was part of the federal government’s push to develop renewable energy sources.
The referendum, held in the Valais canton on Sunday 10 September, centred on economic and environmental interests at a time of high and rising concerns about climate change.
The canton wrote on its official website that almost 54 per cent of people voted against the proposal. Turnout was almost 36 per cent.
Why did Swiss citizens reject plans for Alpine solar parks?The vote was a noteworthy test of public opinion. It also made for some unusual political allies, with some environmental groups aligning with Switzerland's conservative populist party on certain points.
They had said solar parks would be an industrial eyesore on pristine Swiss mountains.
They argued that outfitting more buildings and homes in towns and cities - closer to where the energy would be used - is preferable.
“Through its giant dams, Valais has already given a large share of its electricity to the country,” the local chapter of the Swiss People's Party said on its website. “Adding another environmental degradation to this first one is unacceptable.”
Related
Swiss Alps: Meteorologists climb record 5,298 metres before finding zero degrees during heatwave
Fridays for Future: Greta’s school strikes led a third of Swiss citizens to change their habits
“Ransacking our Alps for the benefit of greedy foreign operators and their no-less-greedy local affiliates can only be an evil enterprise and be to our detriment,” it added.
The Valais Green Party and environmental organisation Pro Natura - who jointly launched the referendum - also argued that the plans didn't properly take the impact on nature and wildlife into account.
On calling the referendum in February, Pro Natura said that it "considers that a solar offensive is necessary, but not to the detriment of wild Alpine spaces."
It urged projects to focus on "largely underexploited" existing infrastructure such as dam walls, storage lakes, avalanche barriers and roads instead, highlighting Switzerland's high proportion of endangered species.
Alpine solar parks could help provide renewable energy in winterProponents had said Switzerland benefits from hydropower - its main source of energy - mostly in the summer.
High-altitude solar parks situated above the typical cloud cover would provide a steady, renewable-energy alternative in the winter, when the country needs to import electricity.
They said that federal funding would have sped up development of solar power on sun-baked Alpine mountainsides.
Valais lawmakers and officials had been urging a 'yes' vote on the proposal, which asked voters to agree to a decree - which the regional council passed 87-41 in February - authorising construction of big solar parks that can produce 10 gigawatt-hours of electricity per year.
The federal energy department estimates that about 40 to 50 proposals for large solar parks have been made across the country.
Related
Climate 'victory': Swiss citizens vote in favour of new law to reach net zero emissions by 2050
Will solar projects still go ahead in Valais?Customized/OEM/ODM Service
HomSolar Supports Lifepo4 battery pack customization/OEM/ODM service, welcome to contact us and tell us your needs.
HomSolar: Your One-stop LiFePO4 Battery Pack & ESS Solution Manufacturer
Our line of LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries offer a solution to demanding applications that require a lighter weight, longer life, and higher capacity battery. Features include advanced battery management systems (BMS), Bluetooth® communication and active intelligent monitoring.
Customised Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery Casing
ABS plastic housing, aluminium housing, stainless steel housing and iron housing are available, and can also be designed and customised according to your needs.
HomSolar Smart BMS
Intelligent Battery Management System for HomSolar Energy Storage System. Bluetooth, temperature sensor, LCD display, CAN interface, UART interface also available.
Terminals & Plugs Can Be Customized
A wide range of terminals and plugs can be customised to suit the application needs of your battery products.
Well-designed Solutions for Energy Storage Systems
We will design the perfect energy storage system solution according to your needs, so that you can easily solve the specific industry applications of battery products.
About Our Battery Cells
Our energy storage system products use brand new grade A LiFePO4 cells with a battery lifespan of more than 4,000 charge/discharge cycles.
Applications in Different Industries
We supply customized & OEM battery pack, assemble cells with wiring, fuse and plastic cover, all the cell wires connected to PCB plug or built BMS.
Applications: E-bike, Electric Scooter, Golf Carts, RV, Electric Wheelchair, Electric Tools, Robot Cleaner, Robot Sweeper, Solar Energy Storage System, Emergency Light, Solar Power Light, Medical Equipment, UPS Backup Power Supply.
We can provide you with customized services. We have the ability to provide a vertical supply chain, from single cells to pack/module and to a complete power solution with BMS, etc.
HomSolar (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd
