A first new-style power plant is up and running in the Altai Republic: Is this the future?

But when the sun is not strong enough, it has a diesel generator too. The new plant switches between its two modes automatically and experts say up to 40% of its electricity will be powered by the sun. 

The power plant was co-funded by the Russian government and Hevel Solar, a project company of Rusnano, Russia's largest nanotech company.

Testing the new unit has been going on since March, and it is now fully deployed. 

Local authorities hope the new power plant will enable a halving of diesel usage in providing power to far-flung villages. 

And now they hope to roll out the plants across the entire Altai Republic, a region covering some of Russia's most magical mountain scenery. 

See the pictures done in March 2013 by photographer Alexander Tyryshkin when the system was still in testing mode, along with the views of Yailyu.