Renewable Energies Part II: Wind Farm JUVENT

Even before the enormous rotor blades emerge from behind the treetops, the characteristic rhythmic roar of the wind turbines on Mont-Crosin and Mont-Soleil is clearly audible. The span of the rotors, which cut through the Jura mountain air at a leisurely pace, is between 90 and 112 meters. The turbines, which can be up to 150 meters high, offer an impressive, if controversial, sight. Wind power is an environmentally friendly energy that should be developed in Switzerland, especially in the mountains, say its proponents. Wind turbines disfigure the landscape and contribute only minimally to the power supply, opponents retort.

Pierre Berger, Wind plant manager Juvent, wind technician and visitor guide on Mont-Soleil, doesn't want to pit the various renewable energies against each other. "It needs wind as well as water and sun. Each of the renewables has its advantages and disadvantages." Above all, it is important that the electricity is produced in Switzerland to prevent dependence on foreign electricity suppliers, Berger says. With just over 40 wind turbines, Switzerland brings up the rear in a European comparison (by way of comparison, Austria had 1,307 turbines in operation at the end of 2021). This is despite the fact that, according to the federal government's wind atlas, wind energy in Switzerland certainly has potential - including in the Saanenland region. The decisive factor for the expansion of wind energy will be whether the proponents succeed in increasing the acceptance of wind power plants among the population.