Mont-Soleil solar power plant: winter electricity and agriculture

How can winter electricity be produced at around 1,250 metres above sea level – while at the same time taking agriculture, nature and the landscape into account? This is exactly the challenge being addressed by the MontSol project. By expanding the existing solar power plant, BKW, together with regional partners (Bourgeoisie de St. Imier, Espace découverte Energie, Société Mont-Soleil, Société de Forces Electriques de La Goule), is planning an open-space solar installation on Mont Soleil that can supply a high proportion of electricity in winter. At the same time, the project partners are aiming for a design in which agriculture, animal husbandry, biodiversity and landscape management are not only taken into consideration, but integrated. This is why solar tables on high supports are being planned – the traditional meadows of the Jura will remain untouched beneath them.

The building permit has been granted at first instance

BKW is one of the sponsors of the MontSol expansion project and is contributing its expertise, its experience as an energy producer and its commitment to sustainable development. At the Mont Soleil site, this means in concrete terms that we are planning the installation so that around 11 gigawatt hours of electricity can be produced each year – equivalent to the electricity needs of around 2,500 households. Particular attention is being paid to production in winter, when electricity demand is especially high. The PV Lab at Bern University of Applied Sciences in Burgdorf is investigating how the solar modules need to be aligned so that they achieve maximum yield in winter. The building permit was granted at first instance in mid-March 2025.

The test bench installed on Mont Soleil

What we are investigating with the studies

However, MontSol is not just about electricity production – we are systematically examining the interactions with agriculture and the environment. The School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences HAFL in Zollikofen is researching how the grass develops under and between the solar tables, how animals cope with the new structure, and what microclimate forms beneath the installations. Another research project at Bern University of Applied Sciences focuses on the question of how the small woods typical of the Jura are adapting to the new climatic conditions. BKW is initiating and supporting these studies with the intention of showing that energy production and the preservation of the cultural landscape must be possible in combination. To this end, the Swiss Foundation for Landscape Conservation was also involved at an early stage; Pro Natura, WWF and the Chamber of Agriculture of the Bernese Jura are also involved.

Initial results and outlook

Agricultural use beneath the solar tables can continue – in some cases, it could even benefit (e.g. through additional shading during periods of heat). This is indicated by the initial results of the studies. At the same time, we are examining how the installation can be embedded in the landscape in such a way that it blends harmoniously into it. In this way, BKW is showing that the energy transition is not only conceived in technical terms. It needs to be anchored in the region and in harmony with agriculture and nature.

The studies are still at an early stage in some cases. The ongoing measurements will show whether the proportion of winter electricity can be achieved as hoped. In addition, long-term monitoring is planned to track the development of soils and biodiversity as well as animal behaviour. In this way, BKW is not only improving a single installation, but also providing general insights for the future planning of ground-mounted solar installations in sensitive cultural landscapes. The MontSol project is an example of how energy production and landscape conservation can go hand in hand.

Pending objections

Objections to the project by the organisation «Freie Landschaft Schweiz» are pending, both against the building application and in the planning approval procedure for the construction of the electrical installations needed to transport the electricity away from the site. It is not currently foreseeable when the objections will be dealt with in a legally binding manner. Unfortunately, this shows, as with many projects for more renewable energy, that procedures are being significantly prolonged due to objections and long processing times.

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