A company wants to install solar panels on the railway tracks.

Europe is accelerating its energy transition. Developers have found many potential areas for solar panels, such as sidewalks, lakes, agricultural farms, etc.

In Germany, Deutsche Bahn is experimenting with installing solar panels on railway sleepers. Meanwhile, Sun Ways is the first company to patent a detachable system that installs solar panels between railway tracks. This could transform the entire rail system.

According to Sun Ways, the space between the two tracks fits perfectly into standard photovoltaic panels, allowing the railway to generate electricity without taking up any additional land.

Using train tracks to install solar panels. Photo: EN

Instead of placing panels individually, Sun Ways links them together and spreads them out like a carpet. That not only makes installation faster and cheaper, but also allows for temporary removal when rail companies need to perform routine track maintenance.

Safety is a top priority, with the panels having an anti-reflective coating to reduce glare for train drivers. They can be cleaned by installing a broom on the train that automatically sweeps the panels as it passes.

In theory, the panels could be deployed across Switzerland's entire 5,317km rail network.

Sun Ways estimates that the national rail network could generate 1 TWh of solar energy per year, equivalent to about 2% of the country's total energy consumption. The renewable electricity would be fed into the grid to supply households.

railway track.jpg — The railway industry can generate large amounts of electricity. Photo: EN

There are currently more than 1 million kilometers of railways in the world. According to Sun Ways, 50% of the world's railways could be equipped with solar panels developed by this unit.

However, the company is still in the process of researching and developing the feasibility of the project. The international railway authority expressed concern that the panels could crack, leading to a fire hazard, or distract the train driver.

Additionally, ice and snowfall can damage solar panels. Sun Ways is working on a system to de-ice water.

The startup aims to expand to many countries around the world such as Germany, Austria, Italy, the US and Asian countries.

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