IWB plans photovoltaic plant in Meiringen-Hasliberg ski area
Basel/Hasliberg BE - Die Basler Energieversorgerin IWB plant im Skigebiet von Meiringen-Hasliberg eine alpine Photovoltaikanlage. Sie soll erneuerbaren, einheimischen Strom für rund 4500 Haushalte liefern.
The Basel-based energy supplier IWB (Industrielle Werke Basel) is planning an alpine photovoltaic (PV) plant on Käserstatt in the ski resort of Meiringen-Hasliberg in the north-east of the canton of Bern. According to a media release, the installation is to be realised together with local partners and will supply around 17 gigawatt hours of electricity for around 4500 households.
In addition to a lot of sunshine, the site has other advantages, the IWB release says. It has an efficient grid connection, and a mountain restaurant that is no longer in use could house transformers and rectifiers. There is already an access road that can be used to bring materials and construction machinery close to the project perimeter. The region is an ideal location for the large-scale alpine photovoltaic plants that have been subsidised by the federal government since autumn 2022.
“With an alpine PV plant in the Hasliberg realised together with local partners, we are making a concrete contribution to the energy transition. The proximity of the site to the tourist facilities offers many advantages in terms of construction and operation,” Stefan Wittwer, Head of Procurement Portfolio at IWB, is quoted as saying.
The planned plant offers various synergy opportunities. The mountain railways will expand their snow-making facilities at the same time, and farmers will receive additional cattle watering facilities. Agricultural use will continue. In addition, landowners and local communities will benefit from user fees and tax levies.
The Käserstatt project perimeter lies above the forest line between 1900 and 2100 metres above sea level. The use of untouched landscapes is avoided. In addition, there is an efficient underground grid connection, which was renewed a few years ago, and which can be used to transport the electricity produced.