Railroads have been seeing a revamp in their technologies over the past decade, with the latest being the use of hydrogen-powered trains in Germany. The revamp is set to get a notch higher with Sun-Ways. The Swiss-based company is set to have its pilot project in 2025 after the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) of Switzerland approved its application.
What is the Sun-Ways Solar Power Project?
The Sun-Ways Solar Power Project will see the laying down of photovoltaic panels with enhanced features in-between railway tracks, spanning thousands of kilometers of unused land in-between the tracks.
The project aims to tap into renewable energy for infrastructural use and reduction of CO2 emissions.
The Solar Panels
According to Sun-Ways, the photovoltaic panels to be used will be unmatched to our “standard” panels in the following major ways:
• The Anti-glare feature. The panels will be integrated with full-black panel tops. The utility of this is to allow for normal track visibility by the locomotive drivers.
• Cylindrical brushes. After their fitting at the end of trains, these brushes will swipe off dirt that might have accumulated over time as the train passes.
• They are removable. Unlike our standard home or office panels that we often think of as permanently fixed, those to be laid out in-between the railway tracks will be removable. This will allow for track maintenance to take place without much disruption to the railway transport and maintenance service.
Other features of the panels will be their varied dimensions depending to the track they are laid upon. According to the Sun-Ways, the standard dimensions for “normal” railway tracks (those with a gauge of 1443mm) is 1000mm (1m) by 1700mm (1.7m).
The panels have also been tested for the following; and have subsequently passed.
• Durability. Where they have proven to withstand up to 240km/h of wind speeds.
• Technicality. The panels have shown to remain stable with train speeds of up to 150km/h.
A major challenge facing the use of these panels is the accumulation of snow during winter months. The cylindrical brushed can be used but other developmental considerations are in progress.
Panel Installation
The solar panels can be installed in two ways: manually and through mechanization, with the latter being favored for this project. A Swiss-based manufacturer, Scheuchzer SA, has come up with a special train that can install up to 1km of panels in a few hours.
This is pivotal in two major ways:
• It will offset the installation costs that could have been incurred with manual panel installation and,
• reduced panel installation time as machines are more faster and more efficient for the process.
Utility of the Project
The solar power harnessed from the panels will be used in three ways:
• By the railway company to power sections that rely on low-voltage power, e.g., stations, signals, and switches.
• By the local distribution network operator to supply renewable energy to nearby infrastructure.
• By the traction power network to power the locomotives.
The Pilot Project
After approval by the FOT, the panels will be first laid in Line 221 of transN near Buttes station in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel, and will span a distance of 100 meters.
48 panels will be installed; each with a capacity of 380W, and a cumulative estimated supply of 16,000kWh/year to the local distribution network operator grid.
The Feasibility Study Project
This will be done on 1,500 meters of private railway tract in the municipality of Aigle. It is estimated to harness up to 288 kW of solar power.
Other Developments in the Project
According to the Swiss-based innovation company, other pilot projects are in actualization in France, Spain, South Korea, and Romania. Talks with potential partners in the United States, China, Thailand, and Australia are also underway.
