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A Swiss start-up is advancing the integration of renewable energy into European infrastructure by converting railway lines into solar power installations. According to Euronews Earth, the company Sun-Ways last year unveiled what it described as the world’s first solar railway, deploying 100 meters of photovoltaic panels between active tracks in the village of Buttes, located in the Val-de-Travers district.
Originally intended as a three-year trial, the railway was equipped with 48 specially designed solar panels with a combined capacity of 18 kWp. Positive results observed just one year into the trial have made the installation of a permanent system along the railroad track likely, the company indicated.
Solar panels are typically positioned at a specific angle to maximize sunlight absorption throughout the year. In Spain, the optimal angle for efficiency ranges between 30 and 35 degrees. A 2022 study published in Science Direct found that a 34-degree tilt on panels in the Iberian Peninsula resulted in annual production losses below one percent. Sloped rooftops are therefore naturally convenient locations for panels, while garden fences, balconies, and flat roofs generate less energy in comparison.
Sun-Ways estimates that the lack of inclination on its railway panels results in a production loss of only around 10 percent. Over one year, the project generated approximately 16,000 kWh, roughly equivalent to the annual energy consumption of an average UK home powered entirely by electricity, including heating, hot water, lighting, and appliances.
In theory, solar panels could be deployed across Switzerland’s entire 5,317-kilometer railway network, covering an area equivalent to 760 football fields or more than 50,000 times the trial coverage. Sun-Ways estimates this could produce around one Terawatt hour of electricity annually, representing about two percent of the country’s total energy consumption.
Transforming railway tracks into renewable energy hubs presents unique challenges. The International Union of Railways previously expressed concerns that panels could suffer micro-cracks, increase fire risk, and distract train drivers due to reflections. Sun-Ways addressed these issues by building more resistant panels than those used on rooftops, fitted with an anti-reflection filter. Built-in sensors ensure proper operation, while brushes attached to the ends of trains remove dirt from the panel surfaces.
When asked about issues during the first year of operation, Sun-Ways reported that the plant worked perfectly and required no special maintenance. For the initial pilot project, electricity is sent directly to the grid, but the company is already working to reinject electricity produced by its power plants directly into railway substations or train traction lines.
Following the successful trial in Switzerland, Sun-Ways has signed a collaboration contract with an Italian business partner who is in contact with the country’s national railway infrastructure, Rete Ferroviaria Italiana. Plans to launch a pilot project in the coming months will be unveiled soon. Sun-Ways has also received government approval to install another solar railway in South Korea, while discussions are underway with Dutch, Chinese, Indian, and Singaporean companies.
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