In Buttes, in the canton of Neuchâtel, the first solar system to be installed between railroad tracks recently went into operation. It will now be tested for three years to see whether it is practicable.
Think global, act local is a principle of company founders and is said to go back to Bill Gates. Joseph Scuderi is now taking a similar approach. With his start-up company Sun-Ways, he has developed a system that allows solar panels to be laid between railroad tracks and feed sustainable electricity directly into the local distribution grid.
"We have around 5000 kilometers of rail network in Switzerland. That means 5000 kilometers of unused space between two steel tracks. In my opinion, it makes sense to put this space to good use."
5000 kilometers of unused space between two steel tracks
Although Scuderi is still a long way from 5000 kilometers of solar panels, he has now received approval from the Federal Office of Transport (FOT) to install 100 meters or 48 solar panels in the canton of Neuchâtel. Initially, this will be a pilot project limited to three years. The Neuchâtel transport company transN, which provided the track, is also on board. The electrical contacts are securely housed in the panels and are fed into the local network 500 meters from the test facility. The trains passing over the system were fitted with cylindrical brushes at the ends, which clean the elements each time they pass.
A technology capable of installing panels on a large scale already exists. Scheuchzer AG specializes in building machines for railroad safety and installation. They have already developed a panel setting machine. Capacity: 1000 square meters of solar modules per day.
Sun-Ways had already submitted an application for a test track in 2023. However, this was rejected by the FOT. An independent expert opinion and improvements to the technology have now changed the FOT's mind. In particular, it had to be ensured that the panels could be quickly dismantled in whole or in part in order to ensure the maintenance operation of the railroad.
The approval of the system by the FOT is linked to further technical conditions. Additional tests and measurements should ensure that there are no harmful effects on the railroad infrastructure. There will also be dismantling and installation tests. They are intended to show that the Sun Ways pilot system adapts to the restrictions during maintenance work and operation of the line. These tests will be conducted under the aegis of RM Voie ferrée, a company specializing in railroad inspections and safety.
This would result in more than two million modules
Each panel of the system supplies 380 watts, i.e. a total of 18 kW nominal power. It would be unthinkable if even a large part of Switzerland's 5,000 kilometers of railroad were equipped with solar modules. That would amount to more than two million modules. Switzerland is good for one terawatt hour per year. The modules installed in the railroad systems alone could then produce 30 percent of the electricity required by the entire Swiss public transport sector. Scuderi is already in negotiations with the Spanish transport companies and the French SNCF. The latter are particularly promising.
