Swiss startup Sun-ways is planning to build a 18 kW pilot PV system between the racks of a 100-m linear section of a railway line in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel.
Why not just make solar roofs over things like parking lots and sidewalks? That way it can provide cover and power, you can use off the shelf panels, and they are unlikely to get damaged.
And you can repair them without needing to shut down a whole railway. All these projects to put solar panels in novel places are totally pointless and solving a problem that doesn’t exist.
Yeah until we literally run out of roofs, fields, parking lots, and fucking ocean space and are contemplating a fucking Dyson sphere I really don’t understand these projects.
In France, solar panels are mandatory for roofs of commercial and industrial buildings and also car parks occupying 500 m² or more of ground surface need to be covered by solar.
What brake dust? Where they’re contemplating putting this the trains are fully electrified and use regenerative (magnetic) braking during routine operations, the only time the abrasive brakes are engaged is during emergencies
Why not just make solar roofs over things like parking lots and sidewalks? That way it can provide cover and power, you can use off the shelf panels, and they are unlikely to get damaged.
And you can repair them without needing to shut down a whole railway. All these projects to put solar panels in novel places are totally pointless and solving a problem that doesn’t exist.
Yeah until we literally run out of roofs, fields, parking lots, and fucking ocean space and are contemplating a fucking Dyson sphere I really don’t understand these projects.
In France, solar panels are mandatory for roofs of commercial and industrial buildings and also car parks occupying 500 m² or more of ground surface need to be covered by solar.
Wait, France requires parking lots to be covered?
Yep
https://www.electrifying.com/blog/article/solar-panels-to-be-legal-requirement-in-french-car-parks
https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/09/france-to-require-all-large-car-parks-to-be-covered-by-solar-panels
parking lots would require the government to own said parking lots. its why you often see them at schools (because its government funded)
I doubt they’re doing this and only this.
wouldn’t make much sense to put up a solar roof after doing this. it would block the sun.
Covering parking lots is expensive and you lose spots to supports and there’s the inevitable car hitting those supports.
Putting panels between rail lines doesn’t need a structure so it should be far cheaper and easier to install and fix, even if they aren’t ideal.
They will get dirty very fast, either from dirt thrown around by passing trains, or by the brake dust.
Also the heavy vibration that can occur when a train passes over
What brake dust? Where they’re contemplating putting this the trains are fully electrified and use regenerative (magnetic) braking during routine operations, the only time the abrasive brakes are engaged is during emergencies
It shouldn’t be too hard to clean them with something running on the tracks, but it does seem less than ideal.
A chain or wire hanging off a train car and dragging along will “clean” them real quick…
NIMBYs and their freedoms* to do whatever they want.
*not applied to not wanting “golf grass”, wanting a different color of paint on the house, etc.