A Swiss start-up has launched the first solar plant installed on railway tracks.
Sun-Ways’ removable photovoltaic plant (RPP) consists of 48 solar panels mounted between the rail tracks running in the Neuchatel mountains in western Switzerland. It will produce 16 megawatthours of electricity per year that will be fed to the power grid.
Aside from powering homes, power generated by the RPP may be used to run the trains running on the tracks.
The Sun-Ways solar panels are designed to withstand the vibration caused by moving trains to ensure durability.
Aside from being removable for maintenance, the Sun-Ways panels can be cleaned of soil through cylindrical brushes tethered on trains.
The pilot project, if successful, may be adopted nationwide to supply up to 2 percent of Switzerland’s energy needs, according to reports.
The technology has drawn interests from France, Belgium, Israel, Indonesia and South Korea.