ewz builds second solar system on dam wall
The electricity company of the city of Zurich (ewz) has started the construction of its second photovoltaic system on a dam. The high-alpine large-scale plant is being built on the Valle di Lei dam wall of the Hinterrhein AG power plant.
ewz is building its second large-scale solar system on the Valle di Lei dam at over 1,900 meters above sea level. The Graubünden municipality of Ferrera issued the building permit for this in November 2021. According to a press release , more than 1,000 modules will be installed on the Valle di Lei dam wall of the Hinterrhein power plant ( KHR ) over a length of 550 meters. Most of the construction and installation work is carried out by KHR employees.
The system was developed and planned by Reech GmbH from Landquart GR. It will have an output of 343.2 kilowatt peak. Annual production will be around 380 megawatt hours. According to ewz, this corresponds to the annual electricity requirements of around 160 households in Zurich.
High alpine photovoltaic systems are particularly efficient. According to the information, they deliver 25 percent more electricity on average over the year than systems in the Mittelland. They also produce around half of the annual electricity in winter. As a result, according to ewz, they contribute to security of supply in the winter months.
Similar to the first photovoltaic system from ewz on the Albigna dam, ewz customers can also participate in Lago di Lei – Solar. 73 percent of the available space has already been sold.