Up on the dam, almost everything that looks like a problem becomes an advantage.
The plant sits above the fog line, in thin, clear air that lets far more sunlight through.
The higher you go, the stronger and cleaner the sunlight becomes.
Cold actually helps, because solar panels work more efficiently when they are not baking in heat.
And then there is the snow, which acts like a giant mirror, bouncing extra light up onto the panels from below.
Scientists call it the albedo effect, and it can lift a mountain plant’s output well beyond anything possible in the valley.
A test site at a similar height recorded yearly output far above a typical Swiss plant.
6 Jul 2026 14:59
Content farm “articles” are difficult to distinguish from AI.
It’s a good idea, if the dam faces a good direction (North probably isn’t worth it) even without the additional benefits of altitude.
6 Jul 2026 15:02
Article reads like AI trash. Is there an actual source?
6 Jul 2026 15:29
In the United States, this is called treason because it makes Donald Trump PP in his pants
6 Jul 2026 15:33
There was a lot of news about the Muttsee Dam solar project a few years ago, so it's a real thing and a good thing. But it's hardly current news. It's been operational since 2022.
6 Jul 2026 15:41
For the same cooling reason some places have been covering irrigation canals with solar panels. The water cools down the panels and it reduces water loss through evaporation.
6 Jul 2026 15:47
I tried (but not very hard) to check what the highest altitude dam in the world is, but searches kept giving me the tallest dams instead. But, for anyone who's wondering, I also looked up what the highest altitude solar farm in the world is, and it turns out it's the
Huadian Tibet Caipeng project, at 5,228 meters (17,152 feet) above sea level on the highest plateau in the world. I have to wonder if snow accumulation outweighs the benefits of the lower temperatures and thinner atmosphere.
6 Jul 2026 15:56
Sir this is a Switzerlands.
6 Jul 2026 15:57
Only a little bit of poop*, once in a while... okay! 😤😡
6 Jul 2026 16:00
Maybe search for highest-altitude reservoirs instead of dams?
6 Jul 2026 16:11
Solar modules are often cooler than their surroundings when they're operating, since they transform ~25% of incoming solar energy into electricity instead of heat.
6 Jul 2026 16:58
Just during press briefings. "Everyone out!"
6 Jul 2026 17:01
usually snow slides off solar panels fairly easily since they are smooth, tilted, and absorb heat.
6 Jul 2026 17:02
Lemmy
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