Graubünden’s Safien Valley boasts the world’s first solar-powered ski lift. The 450-meter long facility transports snow sports enthusiasts and simultaneously produces solar power.
According to estimates, the solar panels on the ski lift produce 21% more current than customary rooftop panels, because the efficiency of photovoltaic cells is the greatest when the sun shines vertically on them. The solar panels on the ski lift have an ideal south-facing angle of 30 degrees and rotate uniaxially along with the sun, tracking it across the sky. The solar panels produce about 90,000 kWh per year. Approx. 22,000 kWh is required for the operation of the ski lift. The excess production of power is sold to EW Tenna, from whom interested and environmentally conscious parties can purchase the Safien Valley’s solar energy.