Is there public debate on the quality of the place?

Energy companies plan wind farms in cooperation with municipalities and cantons. Before a wind farm can be built, a planning application must be submitted. Due to numerous objections, it often takes many years from planning to realisation. The wind farm in the Grand Chasseral region has been in service since 1996 and is operated by Juvent SA, a legal partnership of four companies in which BKW (formerly Bernische Kraftwerke) holds two thirds of the shares. The wind farm started with just 3 wind turbines and now has 16.

Is the place easily accessible?

The wind farm stretches from Mont Soleil to Mont Crosin. With 16 wind turbines of various types, it is the largest wind farm in Switzerland. In 2023, the turbines produced an output of 91.1 gigawatt-hours – much of it in the winter months, when electricity demand in Switzerland is at its highest. This is enough electricity to meet the annual needs of around 20,000 four-person households.

Does the place demonstrate responsible land use?

Wind farms are caught between the need for renewable energy on the one hand and the need to protect the landscape and townscape on the other. Although they occupy just a small area on the ground, their height and the large span of their rotors make them visible from afar. The wind turbines on Mont Crosin and Mont Soleil are between 140 and 150 metres high – taller than any church steeple in the area and, for comparison, even taller than the Prime Tower in Zurich, but lower than the two Roche Towers in Basel. Responsible use of the ground is therefore less critical than responsible use of the airspace.

Have public and private resources been used responsibly?

Wind farms are planned by companies, approved by public authorities and usually built on private land. Juvent’s 16 wind turbines are located between cultivated fields and pastures. With the expansion of renewable energy, there is a debate about whether a “wind usage levy” – similar to the water usage levy – should be paid to municipalities so that companies and private individuals are not the only ones to benefit from this new industry. After all, the wind and the air belong to everyone. It is likely that the legal framework for wind energy will need to be further defined.

Does the place ensure equality, freedom, safety and a reliable means of existence?

In the Bernese Jura, both wind and solar energy are harvested. Together with the La Goule hydropower plant, the facilities produced 140 gigawatt-hours in 2023, which is enough to cover roughly 84 per cent of the region’s electricity demand. Electricity produced locally from renewable sources guarantees the inhabitants of the Jura Arc a clean and autonomous energy supply, thus contributing to their self-sufficiency and security.

Does present-day design improve the quality of the existing?

One’s perspective on the wind farm is crucial. Those who find the slender, tall wind turbines nice looking and appreciate their benefits are happy about the infrastructure in the Grand Chasseral region, while others are bothered by the intrusion into the landscape. The tourism-oriented Three Lakes Region even boasts an Espace découverte Energie, an “Energy Discovery Space” – with a hiking trail along the ridge that passes by the wind farm.

Is the use compatible with ecological principles?

Harvesting wind energy is environmentally friendly. Unlike other forms of energy production, it does not produce CO2 or other substances that can be harmful to nature. It is important that wind energy is harvested in a way that does not harm birds. The choice of location plays an important role. Various maps produced by the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach, which analyse the potential for conflict between birds and wind energy harvesting, show that the Grand Chasseral site poses little risk to birds.

Does the place have an atmospheric impact on the beholder?

Even though energy is harvested here from the sun and wind, this line of hills is a peaceful place. Farmland and forests cover the gently undulating topography. On the family-friendly “Sentier des Monts” between Mont Soleil and Mont Crosin, hikers, cyclists and passengers on horse-drawn carts share the path, passing each other with ease and enjoying beautiful views that stretch as far as France.