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Swiss Satellite Antennas Make a Comeback as Solar Powerhouses

FILE - Workers assemble floating barges with solar panels on the ‘Lac des Toules’, an alpine reservoir lake, in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP, File)
FILE - Workers assemble floating barges with solar panels on the ‘Lac des Toules’, an alpine reservoir lake, in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP, File)
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Swiss Satellite Antennas Make a Comeback as Solar Powerhouses

FILE - Workers assemble floating barges with solar panels on the ‘Lac des Toules’, an alpine reservoir lake, in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP, File)
FILE - Workers assemble floating barges with solar panels on the ‘Lac des Toules’, an alpine reservoir lake, in Bourg-Saint-Pierre, Switzerland, Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019. (Valentin Flauraud/Keystone via AP, File)

High in the Alps, two Swiss companies are repurposing obsolete satellite antennas into giant solar panels, taking advantage of Switzerland's mountainous terrain to generate much-needed green energy.
The installation is the second of its kind in the town of Leuk in the Valais canton to turn an old antenna into an energy powerhouse.
Its mountainous location means the solar panels will get more direct sunlight, especially in winter, than if they were installed near mistier, low-lying urban areas.
"Former satellite antennas are ideal as solar energy systems," said CKW Group, the energy services provider that assisted Leuk Teleport and Data Center with the repurposing of its antenna.
"They can be flexibly aligned with the sun and thus generate more electricity than conventional solar panels."
One antenna of the kind can meet the energy needs of 25 households, according to CKW Group.
The antennas covered in solar panels, which resemble flying saucers, measure 32 meters (105 ft) in diameter and are located some 1,000 meters above sea level, allowing them to receive an optimal level of sunlight, even in winter.
In August last year the Swiss government launched a voluntary campaign to urge consumers and businesses to conserve energy to prevent shortages of gas and power.
Solar energy could prove to be part of the solution.
"Switzerland is facing a major challenge: by 2050, there will be a shortfall of around 50 terawatt hours of electricity per year," said Axpo Group, Switzerland's largest producer of renewable energy which owns CKW Group.
"Solar energy can make an important contribution to the power mix.

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As Storm Bebinca Approaches, Taiwan Uses AI to Predict Typhoon Paths 

Waves break against the protecting walls as Typhoon Gaemi approaches in Keelung, Taiwan July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves break against the protecting walls as Typhoon Gaemi approaches in Keelung, Taiwan July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
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As Storm Bebinca Approaches, Taiwan Uses AI to Predict Typhoon Paths 

Waves break against the protecting walls as Typhoon Gaemi approaches in Keelung, Taiwan July 24, 2024. (Reuters)
Waves break against the protecting walls as Typhoon Gaemi approaches in Keelung, Taiwan July 24, 2024. (Reuters)

As tropical storm Bebinca barrels towards waters off northern Taiwan gathering strength into a possible typhoon, weather forecasters in Taipei are using a new and so far successful method to help track its path - artificial intelligence (AI).

AI-generated forecasts, some powered by software from tech giants including Nvidia, whose chips are made by Taiwan's homegrown semiconductor champion TSMC, have so far outperformed traditional methods in predicting typhoon tracks.

In July, it was AI-based weather models, used for the first time, that helped Taiwan better predict the path and impact of Typhoon Gaemi, the strongest to strike the island in eight years that brought record-breaking rainfall.

The new technology impressed Taiwan forecasters by predicting a direct hit as early as eight days before Gaemi made landfall - handily outperforming conventional methods, which remain the mainstay of prediction planning.

"People are starting to realize AI indeed delivered some stunning performances compared to conventional models," said Chia Hsin-sing, director at the weather service provider Taiwan Integrated Disaster Prevention of Technology Engineering Consulting Company Ltd.

Bebinca is now being tracked using the same AI tools by people including Lin Ping-yu, a forecaster at Taiwan's Central Weather Administration (CWA), who said AI has given them a higher degree of confidence there will not be a direct hit.

"This (AI) is a good thing for us. It is like having one more useful tool to use," said Lin.

The AI weather programs on offer include Nvidia's FourCastNet, Google's GraphCast and Huawei's Pangu-Weather, as well as a deep learning-based system by European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

"It is a hotly watched competition. We will know soon who is winning," said Chia.

Such AI models have also begun to be used to predict storms and hurricanes in other regions with good accuracy, according to forecasters and academics.

The AI-based software is trained using historical weather data to learn the cause and effect relationships of meteorological systems and can predict hundreds of weather variables days in advance - a process that requires only a few minutes to complete.

For all the typhoons in the Western Pacific this year up until mid-September, AI's accuracy in predicting storm tracks over a three-day window was nearly 20% higher than that of conventional models, according to data compiled by the CWA.

Ahead of Gaemi, AI helped the administration foresee an unusual loop in its path that prolonged its impact on Taiwan and prompted them to swiftly issue a rare warning for rainfall of 1.8 meters (5.9 feet), which was later proven accurate, according to CWA's deputy head Lu Kuo-Chen.

"(AI) boosted the confidence for forecasters to make that prediction," Lu said, adding the early warning gave extra time for authorities to carry out preparations.

Lu is also pinning hopes on a partnership with Nvidia, which this year announced a generative AI tool called CorrDiff that aims to forecast more precise locations of typhoon landfall and provide higher resolution images inside a storm.

"We are seeing the potential," Lu said.

For now, however, experts say the AI tools were not able to deliver quality forecasts for more detailed impact of a typhoon, such as its strength and winds, and more time is needed for the new technology to solidify its lead over more traditional ways.

"Was it just good luck?" said Chia, pointing to AI's stellar performance on Gaemi. "We need to give AI a bit more time. It is something to look forward to."