The transformation of satellite dishes belonging to telecoms provider Leuk TDC is being hailed as a demonstration of how existing infrastructure can be repurposed for solar energy.
Leuk TDC, based in the town of Leuk in Switzerland, came up with the idea of using 50-year old 1972 satellite dishes on its premises as the foundation for a new solar plant to offset the energy requirements of its power-hungry data centre.
The solar plant comprises two satellite dishes with 307 solar panels on each one. Each dish generates approximately 110,000 kWh of energy annually.
Energy firm Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke (CKW) carried out the work in collaboration with renewable energy specialist SolarEdge.
Leuk TDC has also installed a rooftop solar system on the main building of its computing and data centre, generating a further 555,000 kWh of solar power a year. In addition to solar, the data centre is powered with energy from hydroelectric power plants, meaning the data centre’s entire energy needs are covered with 100% renewable energy.
Given the complex orientation and inclination of the solar panels on the satellite dishes, shadows and varied inclinations threatened to reduce the efficiency of the solar array. With traditional string solar inverters, they reduce the overall performance to match the weakest performing panel on the string, meaning one shaded panel could reduce energy yield considerably. To address this, SolarEdge’s innovative DC-optimised inverter solution was used with power optimisers attached to the underside of every pair of solar panels. This enables the solar system to mitigate the impact of module mismatch on the satellite dishes, maximising energy production and making the project financially viable.
Manuel Jossi, CKW’s deputy head of solar technology for central Switzerland, said: “Having design flexibility with a solar installation is a huge benefit for installers. In complex cases such as these with uneven surfaces, without the use of power optimisers we simply would not have been able to achieve anywhere close to the level of energy being produced today. I recommend that others planning similar solar installations allocate sufficient time for planning and collaborate with trusted personnel to overcome any technical challenges.”
Leuk TDC chief executive John Harris added: “The satellite dishes were becoming obsolete, so we always knew we wanted to make use of them in some way or another. The design of the dishes, which allows them to be aligned both horizontally and vertically, proved ideal for a solar panel installation. By following the sun’s path throughout the day, these dishes optimise solar radiation absorption. Having installed them we get considerably more hours of electricity than conventional string system, and power optimisers enhance electricity production further.”
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