Repurposing Satellite Dishes into Solar Powerhouses
If you’ve ever driven through the Alps and spotted giant satellite dishes perched on mountain peaks, you might have assumed they were relics of an older telecom era. Well, think again. Swiss telecom company Leuk TDC decided to give those forgotten dishes a second life by turning them into high-efficiency solar power stations. Today, two of their former microwave antennas are fully decked out with photovoltaic panels and producing clean energy—no dusty dish restorations required!
Located at about 1,000 meters above sea level in the town of Loèche (Leukerbad) in the Swiss Alps, these dishes are literally above the fog line. That means they soak up sunlight almost year-round, making them prime real estate for solar panels. While most companies install panels on rooftops or flat ground, Leuk TDC thought outside the box—and ended up with a system that outperforms many traditional solar setups.
Boosted Efficiency with Dual-Axis Dish Tracking
You might wonder how a curved, bowl-shaped antenna can compete with a rectangular solar array. The secret lies in the original design of these dishes. They were built to track satellites across the sky, moving both horizontally and vertically to keep a perfect lock on geostationary signals. Leuk TDC realized that this same mobility could serve as a natural dual-axis solar tracker, maximizing sun exposure throughout the day.
Why Tracking Matters
Fixed solar installations lose efficiency as the sun moves, especially in the early morning and late afternoon. By following the sun’s arc, these retrofitted dishes maintain the optimal angle for capturing sunlight, boosting energy yield by an estimated 20–30% over standard fixed-tilt systems. For Leuk TDC, that means more juice from the same number of panels—and a faster return on investment.
According to John Harris, CEO of Leuk TDC and quoted in PV Magazine, “The mobility of the antennas, with their ability to align both horizontally and vertically, turned out to be perfect for solar panel installation. We’re seeing far more generating hours compared to a classical setup.” It’s like having a giant, high-tech sunflower that never misses a chance to bask in the sun.
Maximizing Output with Power Optimizers
Of course, not everything on a curved surface is uniformly illuminated. Some parts of the dish can cast shade on other sections during certain times of day. To tackle this challenge, Leuk TDC partnered with Swiss installer CKW to deploy DC-optimized inverters and power optimizers under each pair of panels. These savvy devices ensure that shaded sections don’t drag down the performance of the entire array.
“Without power optimizers, we simply wouldn’t be able to reach the energy production levels we’re achieving today,” explains Manuel Jossi, CKW’s solar technology lead. By isolating and managing each module’s output, the system squeezes every last kilowatt-hour out of the available sunshine. In total, each converted dish sports 307 panels and is expected to crank out about 110,000 kWh per year—the equivalent of powering 25 average Swiss households.
A Renewable Future for Telecom
Leuk TDC didn’t stop at just two dishes. They’ve also fitted a rooftop solar installation on their data center, combining solar with clean Swiss hydroelectric power. As a result, the entire facility now runs on 100% renewable electricity. Not bad for a telecom outfit that once relied solely on grid power.
This project isn’t just a neat engineering trick; it’s a bold statement about sustainability in an industry known for its heavy energy demands. By upcycling existing infrastructure, Leuk TDC cut down on construction waste and land use while creating a robust, efficient energy source. Plus, they lock in a fixed-rate power purchase agreement with CKW, insulating themselves from volatile electricity prices.
If you’re curious about more inventive clean-energy hacks or want to geek out with fellow tech enthusiasts, join our Discord community. We’re always swapping tips on everything from rooftop microinverters to DIY EV chargers. Who knows—you might even spark your own solar revolution!
