DON’T MISS
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Swiss news & articles
New plans for Swiss lake to be transformed into floating solar farm
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

New plans for Swiss lake to be transformed into floating solar farm

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

What are Swiss cities planning to do to save energy this winter?What are Swiss cities planning to do to save energy this winter?
Communities in Bern told to boil tap water after major thunderstormCommunities in Bern told to boil tap water after major thunderstorm
Geneva districts left without clean tap water following burst pipeGeneva districts left without clean tap water following burst pipe
Zurich district left without hot water and heat following construction incidentZurich district left without hot water and heat following construction incident
Swiss town to impose a 10pm curfew on young peopleSwiss town to impose a 10pm curfew on young people
Glitch sees over 9.000 drivers in Bern incorrectly fined for speedingGlitch sees over 9.000 drivers in Bern incorrectly fined for speeding
Switching off Christmas lights saved Swiss city just 70 francs last yearSwitching off Christmas lights saved Swiss city just 70 francs last year
Swiss parliament in Bern evacuated over explosives threatSwiss parliament in Bern evacuated over explosives threat
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Nov 16, 2022
Jan de Boer

Editor at IamExpat Media

Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016. While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more

Authorities in Canton Bern have submitted a proposal that would transform a Swiss lake into a giant solar farm. The project would see a floating solar power plant built on the Bielersee, which could provide up to a quarter of Switzerland's energy needs.

Threat of energy shortages continues to loom large in Switzerland

Over the last few months, the threat of energy shortages, power-saving plans and other global economic shocks have called Switzerland’s energy strategy into question. According to 20 minuten, despite the crisis being contained in 2022, many in the government at both the federal and cantonal levels are looking into ways to reduce the country’s reliance on energy imported from abroad.

The newspaper noted that one of the ways to reduce reliance on imports is to increase the production of renewable energy in Switzerland. Indeed, a report by the Swiss Energy Foundation (SES) in June found that the alpine nation was not exploiting its wind and solar power potential.

New floating solar power plant proposed on Bielersee

To help the country increase its domestic power output, a Swiss international company, Energie Zukunft Schweiz (Energy Future Switzerland) has proposed to build a new floating solar power plant on the Bielersee in Canton Bern. Interestingly, Switzerland already has a floating solar farm in operation, with a small project up and running on the Lac des Toules reservoir in Canton Valais.

According to 20 minuten, a quarter of Switzerland’s energy needs could be satisfied if just 5 percent of the lake’s area was covered with solar panels - amounting to around 2 square kilometres. While the exact location of the project is yet to be finalised, the company said that it will be much cheaper to build than current plans to cover all houses with solar panels, and that “initial studies show that there are no negative consequences for aquatic ecology."

Solar power plant would reduce Switzerland's reliance on imports

A pilot project based on the proposal has now been submitted to the cantonal authorities in Bern. The plan involves constructing a solar power plant on the lake that would run for 30 years. It would then be dismantled “easily, quickly and without leaving any permanent traces in the landscape.”

The politicians that submitted the plan argued that other renewable energy projects will take too long to implement, and that floating solar farms could solve the country's energy shortages in the short and medium term. They noted the war in Ukraine has shown Switzerland's fossil fuel dependency “in all its severity” and that greener forms of energy are needed as soon as possible.

Officials in Bern to move forward with floating power plant

The proposal also seems to have gone down well with Bern's Government Council, which told 20 minuten that it was “ready to clarify the legal issues and the feasibility" associated with the project. "The Government Council is aware of the issue of security of supply in the winter due to foreign dependency," adding that developing solar farms like the one on the Bielersee are “central” to their strategy.

However, the government said that it wanted to make sure that legal, environmental and planning permission is formalised before any decision is made. Nevertheless, in the end, the government recommended that the canton accept the proposal, which will be voted on in the coming weeks.

By Jan de Boer