ALBAWABA – Norway has installed solar panels in the Arctic, near the North Pole, in its Svalbard archipelago, a region plunged in round-the-clock darkness all winter, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported Tuesday.
The solar farm is a pilot project that could help remote Arctic communities transition to green energy, according to AFP.
Neatly lined up in six rows in a field, 360 solar panels will begin providing electricity on Thursday to an old shipping radio station, Isfjord Radio, now converted into a base camp for tourists.
Svalbard – also known as Spitsbergen – is located some 1,300 kilometres from the North Pole and is accessible only by boat or helicopter, depending on the weather.
"It's what we believe to be the world's northernmost ground-mounted PV (photovoltaic) system," according to Mons Ole Sellevold, renewable energies technical adviser at state-owned Store Norske.
Solar panels in the Arctic could help further green energy transition efforts - Shutterstock
"It's the first time anyone has installed solar panels in the Arctic at this scale," he told AFP, his rifle slung over his shoulder in case polar bears turn up, which is not so uncommon at these latitudes.
Another 100 solar panels are positioned on the roof of the radio station, which has until now run on diesel generators. These installations should cover about half of the site's electricity needs and cut its CO2 emissions.
In the summer, the region is bathed in an abundance of sunlight, with a "midnight sun" that never sets.
Meanwhile, the installed panels also benefit from the "albedo" effect, which refers to the reflective power of snow and ice, as well as low temperatures that improve their efficiency.
However, in winter, the region is plunged into total darkness from early October until mid-February. This makes it impossible for Isfjord Radio to completely give up fossil fuels. Therefore, Store Norske is also considering other alternatives, such as wind farms, to further the station's green transition.
