Switzerland to install solar panels on train tracks, safety concerns remain

Oct 14

Jack Aylmer Energy Correspondent

By Jack Aylmer (Energy Correspondent), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor), Ali Caldwell (Motion Graphic Designer)

Swiss startup Sun-Ways is leading an initiative to install solar panels along the country’s approximately 3,300 miles of railway. The company says that utilizing the rail network could supply nearly a third of the energy required by Switzerland’s transportation sector.

This could potentially offset around 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually — roughly equivalent to taking 50,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road.

However, the International Union of Railways has highlighted several potential safety issues with this plan. Reflections from the solar panels may impair train operators’ visibility and there is also the risk that the added infrastructure could increase fire hazards along the tracks.

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Critics have pointed to additional logistical challenges, such as the potential for solar panels to complicate track maintenance, suffer damage in the exposed locations, or face efficiency losses. The harder surfaces are also likely to make trains louder as they pass over the panels, causing an uptick in noise pollution.

These concerns contributed to an initial rejection of Sun-Ways’ project in 2023 by Switzerland’s Federal Office of Transport. The company revised its proposal to include additional safety documentation and resubmitted the plan, which then underwent another 10 months of review before authorities approved a pilot project to begin in 2025.

Tags: Climate Change, Railroads, Renewable energy, Solar panels, solar power, Switzerland, Trains

[Jack Aylmer]

FROM TRASH CANS AND DAIRY FARMS TO TREES AND LAKES-

RENEWABLE ENERGY ADVOCATES HAVE BEEN FINDING SOME UNCONVENTIONAL PLACES TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS.

NOW ONE OF THE LEADING NATIONS IN THIS TYPE OF POWER HAS FOUND ANOTHER CREATIVE SPOT FOR THEM:

TRAIN TRACKS.

BUT THE PLAN HAS SOME RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT SAFETY.

SUN-WAYS – A SOLAR ENERGY STARTUP IN SWITZERLAND IS BEHIND THE IDEA.

THE COMPANY SAYS THAT BY TAPPING INTO THE COUNTRY’S ROUGHLY THIRTY THREE HUNDRED MILES OF RAILROAD TRACKS-

THEY COULD POWER NEARLY A THIRD OF THE SWISS TRANSPORTATION SECTOR.

SUN WAYS BELIEVES THIS WOULD HELP OFFSET ABOUT TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND TONS OF CARBON EMISSIONS ANNUALLY-

EQUIVALENT TO TAKING ABOUT 50,000 GASOLINE POWERED VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD EVERY YEAR.

ALTHOUGH, PUTTING SOLAR PANELS ON TRAIN TRACKS COULD BE HAZARDOUS FOR THE RAIL INDUSTRY.

THE INTERNATIONAL UNION OF RAILWAYS HAS HIGHLIGHTED SEVERAL CONCERNS.

THEY’RE WORRIED ABOUT LIGHT REFLECTING FROM THE PANELS BECOMING A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR TRAIN OPERATORS-

AND THE PRESENCE OF THIS SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE MAY POSE A HEIGHTENED FIRE RISK ON THE TRACKS.

CRITICS ALSO ARGUE THAT SOLAR PANELS CAN HINDER TRACK MAINTENANCE-

MAY BE DAMAGED AND BECOME INEFFICIENT IN THESE LOCATIONS-

AND THEIR HARD SURFACES CAN MAKE IT LOUDER WHEN TRAINS PASS OVER THEM, INCREASING NOISE POLLUTION.

BACK IN 2023, THESE FEARS CONTRIBUTED TO SWITZERLAND’S FEDERAL OFFICE OF TRANSPORT INITIALLY REJECTING SUN WAYS REQUEST TO PUT SOLAR PANELS ON THE TRACKS.

AFTER ADDITIONAL SAFETY DOCUMENTATION WAS ADDED, THE PLAN WAS RE-SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL-

AND FOLLOWING 10 MONTHS OF DELIBERATION FINALLY GOT THE GO AHEAD TO MOVE FORWARD.

BEGINNING WITH A PILOT PROJECT SET TO DEBUT IN 20-25.

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