Solar rail could become common in Europe after successful trial in Switzerland

Post by xnx » Mon, Jul 06, 2026, 4:43 AM UTC

ryanmcbride wrote: post #79

acdha wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I can understand putting solar on things when it lets them become standalone off-the-grid setups but for something like railroad track it’s just not that much space and the costs are so much higher. Except on the tightest urban lines, just putting rows of normal panels next to the tracks should be significantly more space with much easier engineering.

Exactly. For example, I think the lifted solar panels that have been popping up over parking lots are a perfect win-win. Cars get shade, power gets generated, it's out of the way of most day-to-day threats, and if they have to do repairs, it's just blocking off part of a parking lot instead of a major thoroughfare. If there's a single downside I'm not sure what it is.

Post by pydry » Mon, Jul 06, 2026, 8:33 AM UTC

ryanmcbride wrote: post #80

dukeyukey wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People hate the idea of solar in currently-unused space. Even if that space is bare desert. So you can get a big PR boost if you propose "solar, but on a thing" (roadways, water, and now trains).

Which is just odd to me because why are we holding one of the cleanest means of generating electricity to a higher standard than like, coal and oil? Why does solar have to have 0 footprint when everything else gets as much of a footprint as it wants? (I know the answer is profit)

Post by chinathrow » Mon, Jul 06, 2026, 9:35 AM UTC

Youden wrote: post #82

brudgers wrote: post #67

I've been nerd-sniped into google fueled napkin math. 18kw/100 m = 180kw/km The most powerful Swiss electric locomotive [1] maxes out at 7900kw. That's 44km of track. The most common Swiss electric (4/4) typicaly maxes at 6100kw requiring up to 34km of track. Switzeraland has about 5000km of track and 180 is about 200, so a million kilowatts if all the track has solar panels. Assuming 3000kw per locomotive and 100% e…

You don't need peak power all the time. The point of trains is that they're extremely efficient; most of the time they're essentially coasting, they only need a lot of power when accelerating or ascending. If you want hard numbers, SBB used 1685GWh for passenger trains in 2025 [0]. The bigger problem with this idea is solar in Switzerland. It's fantastic during the summer but close to nonexistent during the winter [1…

Post by bamboozled » Mon, Jul 06, 2026, 10:24 AM UTC

Aurornis wrote: post #44

dvh wrote: post #31

Solar cell is the only practically viable power source with no moving parts. Stop trying to attach it to moving things. Movements breaks things. Just put the panels by the rail, e.g. as vertical sound barriers in reasonable distance (to lower the pressure waves from train) from tracks. Or on a nearby field where it can be protected and inspected all at one place.

Or don’t put the panels near a railway at all. We have so much land and even empty rooftops that would be easier and safer to use first. Running panels along a railway means the electricity has to be carried all the way back to some point, meaning either giant cables to handle the current or specialized equipment and high voltage transmission lines. None of that was addressed by this pilot program that was 100 meters…

Post by dzhiurgis » Mon, Jul 06, 2026, 12:13 PM UTC

Aurornis wrote: post #44

dvh wrote: post #31

Solar cell is the only practically viable power source with no moving parts. Stop trying to attach it to moving things. Movements breaks things. Just put the panels by the rail, e.g. as vertical sound barriers in reasonable distance (to lower the pressure waves from train) from tracks. Or on a nearby field where it can be protected and inspected all at one place.

Or don’t put the panels near a railway at all. We have so much land and even empty rooftops that would be easier and safer to use first. Running panels along a railway means the electricity has to be carried all the way back to some point, meaning either giant cables to handle the current or specialized equipment and high voltage transmission lines. None of that was addressed by this pilot program that was 100 meters…