Tokyo (SCCIJ) – A mass transport running on carbon-free energy would help to combat climate change. In this context, the start-up Sun-Ways has set itself the challenge of running a significant part of the Swiss railway system on solar electricity. An upcoming test run could offer substantial benefits to the country.
A sustainable energy production pilot project on Swiss railways (© Sun-Ways).
Spring experiment
The pilot project to install solar panels between railway tracks will be launched this spring in the canton of Neuchâtel by Vaud-based company Sun-Ways. This could mark a new turning point in sustainable energy production.
The Val-de-Travers was chosen to launch the project thanks to the partnership with the public regional transportation company TransN and the participation of other players such as Viteos and the Swiss Center of Science and Microelectronics (CSEM). The main challenge was to find collaborative partners. The project will be tested from May on a 100-meter section.
The panels are installed between the rails on a portion of the Buttes line, without visual impact. This removable installation allows operators to carry out maintenance work on the tracks. A machine developed by Sun-Ways is used to mechanically install and remove the panels.
Traction power
The energy produced will be used by TransN to supply low-voltage signaling and points. Sun-Ways aims to provide traction power directly for trains or the public electricity grid in the long term. According to its calculation, Swiss railway networks could produce 1 Terra Watt-hour of solar electricity per year, representing 30% of the consumption of public transport companies in Switzerland.
Since 2021, the small team of Sun-Ways has been changing the way to harvest solar electricity by installing removable solar power plants between railroad tracks. Its installations have no impact on the landscape and the environment.
The patented system of hanging between the rails allows the rapid mechanical installation and removal of a large number of solar panels. This facilitates the work of the installers, but also of the railroad maintenance teams.
Pioneer Neuchâtel
The world-first deployment of solar panels on railway tracks in Buttes is no coincidence. After all, the canton of Neuchâtel is considered a pioneer in solar energy technologies.
At the beginning of 2022, two companies active in the energy transition, VARO Energy Group and Groupe E, announced the construction of the country’s most powerful ground-mounted solar power plant in Cressier. The same year, Groupe E’s new Solar Access training course was launched, offering training in the various aspects of photovoltaic solar energy through a combination of theory and practice.
The canton of Neuchâtel is also home to CSEM’s Swiss Center for Sustainable Energy, an industry-oriented program that promotes innovation and accelerates technology transfer in the fields of photovoltaics and sustainable energy storage/management. Its mission is to bring new high-tech solar and energy solutions to technological maturity to serve the Swiss and global renewable energy industry.
Text: SCCIJ based on material of GGBA
