35 MW Solar Capacity Approved Along Swiss Highways

• ABCD-Horizon, a consortium of 4 companies, have emerged winners in the Swiss tender for solar along highways  
• The team plans to deploy solar PV systems at 45 rest areas in Romandie, Valais and Bern regions 
• Most of the electricity generated will be used for Romandie, Valais and Bern regions with the excess to be fed into the grid  

A consortium of renewable energy producer aventron, infrastructure firm BG Engineers and Consultants AG, logistics company Cargo sous terrain (CST) and solar folding roof manufacturer dhp technology will build 35 MW solar PV capacity along the highways in Switzerland after winning a Federal Roads Office (FEDRO) call.  

The ABCD-Horizon consortium plans to install solar PV systems at 45 rest areas in Romandie, Valais and Bern regions on land to be provided by the federal government for no extra charge.  

Lightweight solar folding roof with patented technology from dhp will be used for this project. These roofs can extend or retract automatically, according to a joint statement from the consortium.  

Solar panels will be spaced out and installed up to 6 meters above the ground to enable the use of space for large and goods vehicles. These will also provide shading for carparks.   

The 35 MW capacity is expected to generate enough clean energy to suffice the electricity requirements of some 7,800 households with an average electricity consumption of 4,500 kWh/year.  

Solar power generated is planned to be used primarily for Romandie, Valais and Bern regions, flowing either into existing charging stations at rest areas or stored in batteries, with surplus electricity fed into the grid and sold to aventron's 3 main shareholders Primeo Energie, Stadtwerke Winterthur and ewb.   

"In the coming years, this will build an overall logistics system for the surface and underground transport of small-sized goods for Switzerland that is operated entirely with renewable energies," according to the statement.   

The consortium targets to start work on the project in 2024 with a commissioning deadline of 2027.  

FEDRO had invited applications for solar panels to be installed for 350 noise barriers and 100 rest areas along highways in the country in September 2022 to explore the potential of this innovative technology (see Switzerland Launches Call For Solar Along National Roads).  

Earlier this month, Energie 360°, Helion Energy AG and Basler&Hofmann announced winning a good chunk, either individually or as a consortium, of 33 applications approved by FEDRO in the tender.   

Helion said it will be able to provide 14 GWh at the approved service areas in the Cantons of Graubünden and Ticino alone.