Can solar panels be used on railway tracks?

Sun-Ways, a small start-up based in the Western Swiss town of Ecublens, has found yet another option. The space between the rails of railway tracks is large enough to place standard-sized solar panels without obstructing the movement of trains, says co-founder Baptiste Danichert. "This way we could produce some of the electricity we need," he says.

Can photovoltaics be integrated into the railway sector?

Integrating photovoltaics into the railway sector is not easy, as the sector is highly regulated. However, a pragmatic technical development strategy based on taking into account the constraints related to railway maintenance and operation from the outset has allowed us to arrive at a technology that meets these expectations.

Can solar power power rail networks?

The pilot project, which will cover 100 metres of track, is the first important step towards full integration into larger railway networks, with the possibility of extending it nationally and internationally. Sun-Ways’ solar installations have the potential to transform energy production for rail networks and electric mobility.

Can photovoltaics power trains?

By integrating photovoltaics into the railway ecosystem, we can directly power trains with renewable energy, but also power charging stations for electric vehicles, while reducing CO2 emissions and increasing the energy independence of a country’s entire public transport system.

Will there be a solar-powered railway line in the UK?

That is not to say, however, that efforts have not been made in this direction. Years of collaboration between 10:10, the UK’s Community Energy South and Network Rail have recently brought to life the world’s first solar-powered railway line, which opened in Hampshire, UK in August 2019.

Which companies are testing a photovoltaic system on railway sleepers?

Two other companies, Italy's Greenrail and England's Bankset Energy, are testing photovoltaic elements installed on railway sleepers. However, Sun-Ways is the first to have patented a removable system, in collaboration with EPFL, the Swiss federal technology institute in Lausanne. "That is the innovation," says Danichert.