About us - history
In the 1970s and 80s, forward-looking companies and institutions began to think about the possibility of tapping new resources in addition to the established sources of energy. Photovoltaics, i.e. the generation of electricity through solar power, emerged as a highly promising prospect.
The Elektrowatt Ingenieurunternehmung company active at that time installed the first kilowatt-range photovoltaic installation in Switzerland on the Elektrowatt building in Zurich in 1978. Based on that positive operating experience, the idea of an actual solar power plant emerged in 1985. This led to the 1987 project of building the 500-kilowatt, Alpine photovoltaic power plant – “Photovoltaisches alpines Kraftwerk” or PHALK 500 for short – as a research, development and demonstration station. Potential locations in the cantons of Grisons, Valais and Bern were evaluated.
In June 1988, this work led to the formation of the PHALK 500 consortium supported by BKW Energie AG (BKW) and Elektrowatt AG. In December 1988, the consortium opted for the Mont-Soleil location in the Bernese Jura on a plot of approximately 20,000 square meters at an altitude of 1,200 meters.
On May 17, 1989, the building application for the erection of a 500-kilowatt solar power plant was submitted. The same day, representatives of BKW and Elektrowatt presented the project to the public. The media response was immense and extended well beyond the borders of Switzerland.
No objections to the building application were submitted. The Préfecture de Courtelary issued the construction approval on April 3, 1989. The technical and approval prerequisites for implementation of the planned eight-million-franc project were thus in place. The next step was to find sponsors for the financing and operation of the power plant. The initiators at BKW and Elektrowatt succeeded in putting together a broad-based group of sponsors for the project before the year was out. The founding of Société Mont-Soleil followed on June 6, 1990.
Milestones
For details refer to News - archive
| 1988 | June | Formation of the PHALK 500 consortium by BKW and Elektrowatt |
| 1989 | May | Submission of the building application, public announcement |
| 1990 | April | Issuing of construction approval |
| June | Founding of Société Mont-Soleil | |
| 1991 | June | Start of construction on the solar power plant |
| 1992 | February | Generation of the first kilowatt hour |
| February | Start of the first research program | |
| April | Commissioning of the solar power plant by Federal Councillor Adolf Ogi | |
| Mai | Open house with massive public draw | |
| 1995 | Mai | Establishment of the test field for testing new components |
| 1997 | Mai | Opening of the «Sentier Découverte» adventure trail |
| 2000 | January | Project launch for the construction of the world’s largest solar ship |
| 2001 | July | Commissioning of the world’s largest solar ship |
| 2010 | June | 20th anniversary of Société Mont-Soleil |
| 2012 | April | 20th anniversary of the Mont-Soleil solar power plant |
| 2015 | January | Re-founding of Société Mont-Soleil with new sponsors and expanded mission |
| March | Cooperation with Swiss Energypark | |
| 2018 | June | Summer School for PhD students with EPFL and BFH Biel |
| 2019 | June | Surface-designed solar modules |
| 2020 | June | 30th anniversary of Société Mont-Soleil |