Alpiq, the Swiss electricity producer, is offloading its rooftop solar business under a strategic move, to focus instead on flexibility solutions to integrate renewable energies and expand storage facilities. However, it will continue to be interested in alpine PV systems to produce winter electricity.
Henceforth, it won't plan, build and operate PV systems that are not close to its core operations of flexibility solutions which refer to systems whose power generation can be adjusted based on demand. For Alpiq, it primarily incorporates hydropower plants and pumped storage power plants. It sees these solutions as ideal for integrating the growing proportion of PV power into the energy system as short-term daily or weekly storage facilities.
"Alpiq's strategic focus in the field of assets is on targeted measures to strengthen the security of supply and flexibility solutions. Its highly flexible power plant portfolio means that the integration of weather-dependent renewable energy into the system is part of Alpiq's core business," shared the management.
It will sell the 7 rooftop solar assets in its portfolio to PS Panneaux Solaires, an operating company of Gefiswiss Energy Transition Fund. These projects are located in the cantons of Fribourg, Solothurn and Vaud with the capacity to produce 5.6 GWh on an average annually.
Pointing to the growing demand for flexibility solutions, calling these a driver of energy transition, the Head of the Switzerland business division and member of Alpiq's Executive Board, Amédée Murisier, explained, "The challenge is to integrate the weather-dependent power production from wind and solar energy into the energy system. Our highly flexible power plant portfolio enables us to significantly contribute to the flexibility of the energy system and, therefore, to the success of the energy transition."
Alpiq says it has shares in 6 alpine solar PV plants with various local partners which will remain on its radar, saying these contribute to strengthening the security of supply as an excellent winter electricity source (see Alpiq Planning 'Major' Alpine Swiss Solar Power Project).
Even though the Swiss company wants to divest the rooftop solar business, EPFL sees this segment as the quickest way for Switzerland to achieve its 45 TWh renewable energy target for 2050 (see Rooftop Solar Can Help Switzerland Achieve Energy Targets).