A startup born from a simple train station thought is now testing a bold new idea. Solar panels between railway tracks sound too interesting to know more about.
Swiss company Sun-Ways has installed 100 metres of removable solar panels on tracks in Buttes, a village in western Switzerland.
The idea came to Joseph Scuderi in 2020 while waiting for a train. He wondered why the space between the rail lines goes unused. That thought turned into Sun-Ways, now backed by the Swiss Innovation Agency and multiple partner companies.
What makes this project different is that the panels can be installed and removed easily using a special machine. This allows track maintenance without damaging the solar setup. Even cleaning is handled smartly, with a brush fitted to the end of trains.
The current test setup will produce 16,000 kWh per year, enough to power about 4–6 homes. But the bigger picture is huge. If half of Switzerland’s 5,320 km of railway lines are used, it could generate 1 billion kWh, or 2% of national electricity needs.
Countries like South Korea, Japan, Spain, and Indonesia have shown strong interest. South Korea plans a pilot using Sun-Ways’ system, citing its easy installation and smart electrical design.
While the idea is promising, Swiss rail authorities have limited the test to a three-year trial. They want to monitor how the system performs through all seasons and how it affects rail conditions.
Experts say using existing infrastructure like railways avoids taking up open land and helps meet solar goals without disturbing nature.
If the Sun-Ways system succeeds, railway lines across the world could double up as solar power plants, all starting from one small idea at a train station.
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