- Swiss startup Sun-Ways has switched on a removable solar plant installed on a functioning railroad line in western Switzerland.
The array, billed as the world’s first track-mounted solar plant open to rail traffic, sits in the Neuchâtel mountains and includes 48 solar panels rated at 385 W each. The installation has a total output of 18 kW and is expected to generate 16 MWh per year, feeding power into the public grid 500 meters from the site.
Passenger trains are scheduled to begin running over the installation on April 28.
Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport approved the removable PV plant in October 2024. Since then, it has undergone tests and analyses requested by the agency. It has secured all necessary permits.
Sun-Ways said it will carry out tests over the next three years on panel coating, soiling, and the system’s impact on rail infrastructure. The data will help determine whether rail operations can run safely with a removable solar array mounted between the tracks.
Delegations from Belgium, France, Indonesia, Israel, and South Korea attended the inauguration to assess potential deployment in their home countries, said the company.
An international team recently conducted a technical and economic analysis to determine whether deploying PV systems between or near railway tracks is viable for rural applications. The researchers found that this often-criticized project type may be not only technically feasible but also commercially attractive.
Critics have focused on two key concerns that may limit the performance of solar panels: heavy soiling and strong mechanical stress from trains passing overhead. Both factors could significantly shorten a system’s lifespan and reduce energy output.
The researchers acknowledged these risks and noted that in Bangladesh, for example, rail tracks are typically built on soft alluvial soils, which generally dampen vibration amplitude caused by passing trains.
The researchers presented their findings in the study “Techno-economic study of a photovoltaic power plant besides the railway track for rural uses in Bangladesh,” published in e-Prime – Advances in Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Energy.
Author: Patrick Jowett
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
