Raise your hand if you haven't thought about it at least once: what if we covered the tracks with solar panels? Could they become a clean energy source? The European startup Sun Ways has created a mechanical device to place very long “ribbons” of removable solar panels along railway tracks. According to the Swiss startup, this innovation could be applied on at least half of the world's railway lines. And it would be a real turning point.
Clean energy on the tracks
The space between railroad tracks is large enough to accommodate these standard size pre-assembled solar panels without obstructing the passage of trains. The pose? It is done with a special train, which installs the panels as it passes. The co-founder of Sun-Ways, Baptiste Danichert, emphasizes that these solar panels “have no visual or environmental impact”. It's not little. And it already sets a new standard: there are two competing companies (one is Italian, Greenrail, the other English, Bankset Energy) working on similar solutions, but neither of them is removable at the moment.
Let's do two accounts
The Swiss railway network has a total length of 5.317 kilometers and could theoretically be entirely covered by solar panels. This would be equivalent to approximately 760 football pitches, excluding tunnels and areas with low exposure solar. According to Sun-Ways, the country's rail system could generate 1 Terawatt hour (TWh) of solar energy per year, equivalent to approximately 2% of Switzerland's total electricity needs. The energy produced by solar panels on the tracks would be fed into the electricity grid and used to power homes.
The pilot project will focus on the public railway system in western Switzerland, near the Buttes station, at a cost of approximately 400.000 CHF (approximately 435.000 euros).
Obviously, the goal of startup it doesn't stop at the Alps. Sun-Ways intends to expand in the coming years to other regions of Europe, such as Germany, Austria and Italy, and also to the United States and Asia. “There are over a million kilometers of railways in the world,” says Danichert.
The train of desires
To be successful in the long term, Sun-Ways will need to collaborate with different organizations and authorities. The involvement of experts in railway engineering, solar technology and environmental conservation will be key to ensuring the system is safe, efficient and sustainable. If the startup can overcome the challenges and demonstrate the effectiveness of its system, it could have a significant impact on the future of solar energy and rail around the world. Imagine a world where trains not only transport people and goods, but also contribute to the production of clean energy. Sun-Ways has embarked on a truly interesting journey: we will follow it carefully :)
