Swiss Startup Sun-Ways Introduces World's First Solar Panel Carpet for Railway Tracks

Swiss-based energy startup, Sun-Ways, has developed a mechanical device to deploy removable solar panels along railway tracks, a solution that could be implemented on half of the railway lines across the globe, reported first by Interesting Engineering.

According to co-founder Baptiste Danichert, the area between railway lines is broad enough to accommodate standard-sized solar panels without impeding train passage.

Danichert added that Switzerland could produce some of the electricity needed using this method, and large installations are difficult to construct due to a lack of available space.

However, solar panels between rails have no visual or environmental impact.

Solar Panels Along Railways

Sun-Ways uses factory-preassembled solar panels from Switzerland, which are one meter wide, positioned between train lines, and fastened to the rails through a piston mechanism.

A train created by Swiss track upkeep company Scheuchzer is responsible for the mechanical installation. The startup notes that the train spreads the photovoltaic panels out along the rail track similar to an unrolling carpet as it moves.

Solar panel installation along railroad tracks is not a new concept, as photovoltaic components mounted on railroad sleepers are being tested by two additional businesses, Italy's Greenrail, and England's Bankset Energy.

Nevertheless, Sun-Ways is the first to have patented a removable system in partnership with the Swiss Federal Technology Institute in Lausanne, according to Danichert.

Danichert says that the ability to remove the panels is necessary to perform maintenance tasks such as rail grinding. Trains are able to move along the lines without incident, thanks to rail grinding.

According to Sun-Ways, the energy produced from the solar panels would be transmitted to the power grid and used to provide electricity to households.

However, using the generated power for rail operations would be more challenging and would necessitate specialized technology, as per Danichert.

What's Next for Sun-Ways

Covering the entire Swiss rail network's length of 5,317 kilometers with solar panels may be possible as this would encompass an area of approximately 760 football fields, with the exception of tunnels and areas with limited sunlight.

Sun-Ways claims that the country's railway system could generate 1 Terawatt-hour (TWh) of solar energy annually, which is about 2% of Switzerland's overall electricity requirements.

Sun-Ways intends to broaden its reach in the upcoming years into other regions of Europe, including the close-by nations of Germany, Austria, and Italy, as well as the United States and Asia.

Danichert believes that 50 percent of the world's railways could be equipped with their system. The pilot project will focus on Western Switzerland's public rail system close to the Buttes train station and will cost around CHF400,000 ($437,240).

While the innovation is exciting, the International Union of Railways has raised concerns about microcracks in the panels, the risk of forest fires, and possible driver distraction caused by reflections.

To prevent reflections from glaring into train drivers' eyes, Sun-Ways claims that their panels are more durable than conventional ones. Sun-Ways' experimental endeavor still has a lot to prove, but the potential benefits of this technology are huge, and it could be a significant contribution to the global effort to switch to renewable energy sources.