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Dallenwil

Hydro power plant in Nidwalden, Switzerland. Approximate location 46.9242, 8.3879.

HydroNidwaldenSwitzerland

Dallenwil is a 18 MW hydro power plant in Nidwalden, Switzerland. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 18,220 homes (estimated). It ranks #85 of 168 Switzerland power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1962, it is around 64 years old — an older, legacy facility. As a non-combustion source, it has no direct CO₂ emissions from generation. In context, hydro supplies about 52.3% of Switzerland's electricity; the national grid averages 39 gCO₂/kWh (97.7% low-carbon) (2025).

18MW installed capacity
18,220homes powered (est.)
1962commissioned (~64 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1004138.

Capacity vs largest hydro plants in Switzerland

Bieudron: 1,285 MW1kBieudronLimmern: 1,000 MW1kLimmernNendaz: 392 MW392NendazGrimsel 2: 348 MW348Grimsel 2Bitsch (Biel): 340 MW340Bitsch (Bi…Biasca: 324 MW324BiascaFionnay (Dixence): 306 MW306Fionnay (D…Pradella: 300 MW300Pradella

Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Local climate & thermal context

This hydro plant converts the energy of falling or flowing water through hydro turbines. It sits in a subarctic (boreal) climate (Köppen Dfc) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 46.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

5.9°Cannual mean temp
4,414heating degree-days (base 18°C)
0cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
1,199 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: -2 °CJF: -1 °CFM: 1 °CMA: 4 °CAM: 9 °CMJ: 12 °CJJ: 14 °CJA: 14 °CAS: 11 °CSO: 7 °CON: 2 °CND: 0 °CD14 °C

Heating degree-days here run 80% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 89/100 — this site sits in the top third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

In colder climates, uninsulated hot equipment (boilers, turbines, valves, steam lines) loses proportionally more heat to ambient air — exactly the loss Inzonex modular insulation is designed to cut.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #81 largest hydro power plant of 162 in Switzerland by capacity.

Switzerland has 162 hydro power plants in this dataset, together about 9,668 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 46.9242, 8.3879 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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