With the length of the railway system in Switzerland, the solar cell could cover an area equivalent to 760 football fields, producing 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) of solar electricity annually.
Swiss startup Sun-Ways developed the idea of spreading solar cells along train tracks , Interesting Engineering reported on March 18. This initiative can be applied to half of all train tracks globally. The area between the tracks is large enough to accommodate standard-sized solar cells without blocking trains from passing, according to Sun-Ways co-founder Baptiste Danichert.
The solar panels are spread along the track via a special train. (Photo: Sun-Ways)
Large-scale installation of solar panels is difficult to conduct due to lack of space. However, solar cells placed in the middle of the track do not obstruct visibility or affect the environment . Sun-Ways is developing pre-assembled solar cells at its factory in Switzerland. One meter wide panels are placed between two rails and secured to the rails by a piston mechanism. A train built by Swiss railway maintenance company Scheuchzer. The train spreads solar panels along the track as it passes, like carpeting, according to the Sun-Ways.
Installing solar cells along rails is not a new idea. Photovoltaic batteries mounted on sleepers have been tested by two companies Greenrail of Italy and Bankset Energy of the UK. However, Sun-Ways was the first company to patent the detachable system, in partnership with EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
According to Danichert, the ability to disassemble the panels is essential for maintenance tasks such as grinding rails. The generated electricity will be put into the grid and used to supply the population. On the other hand, using energy for railway operations will be more difficult and requires specialized technology.
The Sun-Ways test still needs further improvement. The International Railway Federation is concerned that the panels can suffer many small cracks, increasing the risk of forest fires and even causing train drivers to be scattered by reflections. To prevent reflections from blinding drivers, Sun-Ways says its panels are more durable than conventional batteries.
Switzerland’s railway system has a total length of 5,317km and can be covered with solar panels, equivalent to the area of 760 football fields, except for tunnels and locations with limited sunlight. The country’s rail system can generate 1 terawatt-hour (TWh) of solar electricity annually, about 2% of the country’s total electricity demand, according to Sun-Ways. The company plans to expand solar installations in other countries such as Germany, Austria, Italy, USA and Asia in the coming years. The pilot project will focus on the public rail system in Western Switzerland, near Buttes station.