A solar technology startup in Switzerland is hoping to exploit the open space between railway tracks to produce sustainable energy by placing solar panels. Under a Rs 6.04 crore (585,000 Swiss francs) pilot project, as many as 48 solar panels have been placed on a 100-metre portion of railway tracks in Buttes, a small village in western Switzerland.
The technology has been developed by Sun-Ways after its founder, Joseph Scuderi, first had the idea in 2020 while waiting for a train. After receiving a green light from the Federal Office of Transport (FOT), the startup deployed the solar panels on the railway line, currently being operated by transN.
"We installed solar panels as we would on the roof of a house," Mr Scuderi told Swissinfo, adding that getting this far "has been a miracle".
Notably, the project was initially rejected by FOT in 2023 over concerns that the solar panels could affect the safety of the trains and related maintenance efforts. However, Sun-Ways consulted experts to conduct an independent study on the proposal to prove that the specialised solar panels would not interfere with the active railway.
While solar panels are usually permanently fixed, Sun-Ways has developed a proprietary technology where the panels can be removed whenever required so that the track maintenance team can perform its job. Swiss track maintenance company Scheuchzer can place and remove nearly 1,000 square metres of solar panels in just a few hours.
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How is solar power used?
As per the company, the photovoltaic current produced by the solar panels could be used in three ways. In the first scenario, the energy could be "reinjected" to power the railway infrastructure (switches, signals, stations) while in second instance, the current can be fed into the electricity network of the nearest local GRD (Distribution Network Operator).
However, Sun-Ways claims that reinjecting the current into the traction energy network that powers the locomotives is the best way to extract the full benefits of the pilot programme. Sun-Ways says the approximately 5,320 kilometres of the Swiss rail network could generate one billion kWh of solar power per year, which is enough to fulfil the consumption demand of 300,000 households.
"It is good that rail and public transport companies are innovating, including in renewable energy production," said Florence Pictet, spokesperson for the FOT.
Sun-Ways says it has already received interest from countries such as China and the US while collaborating on similar projects in South Korea, Spain and Romania.
