| Work Detail |
Swiss startup Sun-ways plans to build a pilot 18kW photovoltaic system between the rails of a 100-metre linear section of a railway in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel.
Switzerlands Federal Office of Transport (FOT) has granted a permit for the countrys first demountable solar power plant to be installed on a railway line.
The project is being developed by Swiss startup Sun-ways, which plans to start deploying the system next year on a 100-metre stretch of railway line 221 operated by transN, the public transport company of the canton of Neuchâtel.
The pilot system will have 48 panels of 380 W each and their combined power will be 18 kW. The project will be built at a cost of 621,800 euros (685,920 dollars) and will feed energy into the local grid.
Local electricity supplier Viteos and DG-Rail, a company specialising in railway electrical installations, will collaborate with Sunways on the construction of the project.
In the summer of 2023, the Federal Office of Transport initially rejected the application as a precautionary measure, as it had no technical references on the proposed technology.
With the support of industrial partners, Sunways called on two mechanical professors from the Haute Ecole dIngénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD) to carry out an independent assessment on specially designed prototypes. A technical and safety analysis was then carried out by Geste Engineering, a Swiss specialist in large railway engineering projects. Its aim was to demonstrate that the system is fully compatible with the FOT safety criteria, as the pilot installation will operate on a railway line open to rail traffic.
“As controversies around the installation of solar power plants in the Alps grow, Sunways’ technology could provide a relevant response and the necessary increase in electricity production from solar energy,” the company says. “In fact, it makes use of unused space without disrupting rail traffic or track maintenance and inspection work.”
The company explained that the solar modules can be installed manually or mechanically using a specially designed railway machine from railway maintenance expert Scheuchzer SA, which said it can install up to 1,000 m2 of solar panels per day. In addition, the solar plant is detachable and can be removed to allow for maintenance work.
The authorisation issued by the OFT is subject to a number of technical conditions, including a number of additional tests and measurements to be carried out throughout the operation of the pilot project. This is expected to ensure that there will be no detrimental impacts on the railway infrastructure.
Dismantling and installation tests will also be carried out to demonstrate that the Sunways pilot installation is perfectly adapted to the constraints related to maintenance work and the operation of the line. These tests will be carried out under the supervision of RM voie ferrée, a company specialising in railway inspections and safety. |
