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2% of Switzerland's Energy Needs Might be Met by Railroads

Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm's picture
Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm 43,218
Industry Technical Writing and Editing, TPGR Solutions, LLC

After writing for energycentral.com since 2013, I hope to still bring education, interest, and current news/inquires to articles with the focus of keeping the energy communities best practices...

  • Member since 2013
  • 98 items added with 74,021 views
  • Mar 20, 2023
  • 966 views

Read this short article on the innovative idea an energy startup company has put forward. Solar panels designed to line railway tracks without impeding rail car travel have been used to generate solar energy for homes and other towns along the rail lines. Plans to expand use to other countries are in the making if the original solar panel railways show a return on the energy investment.

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/solar-panel-carpet-on-railway-tracks

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Matt Chester's picture
Matt Chester on Mar 20, 2023

An interesting idea, but I would wonder if it would fall short of 'solar roadways' that have also been pitched as a next great technology to utilize space and generate clean power. The maintenance and logistics seem to always not work in that case, so I wonder if something about the railway idea fixes for that? 

Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm's picture
Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm on Mar 20, 2023

The solar panels for the railways are detachable and fall under the railcars without interfering with the train carriages. The detachable aspect of the solar panels allows for removing them to repair the tracks on the side where the train cars wheels revolve and also gives for easy solar panel repairs by individual panels if the solar panels weather or damage.

Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm's picture
Kimberly McKenzie-Klemm on Mar 20, 2023

In addition to what I have said above, there are stretches of train tracks not in use in tunnels and shaded areas.

 

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Thank Kimberly for the Post!
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