Untapped solar and wind potential in Swiss mountains

(Image: Pixabay CC0) Scientists at EPFL and the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF have issued recommendations for what type of renewable energy should be produced in Switzerland's various regions, to help achieve the country's goals of carbon neutrality and energy self-sufficiency. According to a new study, the most effective way for Switzerland to become carbon-neutral and energy self-sufficient is to install a combination of wind turbines and solar panels in its Alpine regions. The study's "optimal scenario" suggests adding new capacity in a ratio of 75% wind power and 25% solar power to supplement the country's existing hydropower facilities. The research was conducted jointly by scientists at EPFL's Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences (CRYOS) and WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, with the backing of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. Their findings have just been published in Environmental Research Letters .  "We know our optimal scenario is provocative, but we wanted to map out a full strategy and suggest the most effective path to take, even if it seems radical," says Jérôme Dujardin, the study's lead author and a PhD candidate in environmental science and engineering at CRYOS. "Policymakers will surely choose a middle-ground option between our optimal scenario and the status quo."  Switzerland's renewable-energy advantages - The study employs a new method for determining what kind of renewable energy is best suited for specific regions, taking into account their topographies, microclimates, hydropower storage potential, and how electricity can be traded with neighboring countries.