Swiss Startup Installs Solar Panels Between Active Railway Tracks in Pilot Project
By
Tibi Puiu
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
A Swiss startup called Sun-Ways has installed 48 solar panels on a 100-meter stretch of active railway track in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The panels sit between the rails, low enough for trains to pass over them and removable for track maintenance. The pilot project generates about 18 kW of capacity (16,000 kWh/year), turning unused railway space into a renewable energy test. This first-of-its-kind installation demonstrates a novel approach to integrating solar power into existing transportation infrastructure without disrupting train operations.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledOn a 100-meter stretch of active railway near the village of Buttes, 48 solar panels sit between the rails, low enough for trains to pass over them and removable enough for crews to take them away when the track needs work.
The installation, developed by the Swiss startup Sun-Ways, is small. Its 18 kilowatts of capacity could generate about 16,000 kilowatt-hours of electric
A train line in western Switzerland now carries two kinds of traffic: passengers above, and sunlight below.
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