An unusual wind farm recently opened in Switzerland. Like all wind farms, it uses devices called turbines to convert wind into energy. But this farm sits in the snowy peaks of the Swiss Alps, about 2,600 meters (8,530 feet) above sea level. That makes it the highest wind farm in Europe.
Why build a wind farm in the mountains? The turbines’ spinning blades make a lot of noise as they power generators that produce electricity. But up in the mountains, that noise doesn’t bother people in the cities below.
A special heating system melts any ice that forms on the turbines’ blades. This allows the turbines to spin year-round, producing pollution-free electricity for 2,800 Swiss homes.