Solar rail could become common in Europe after successful trial in Switzerland • Hacker News Board

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

#131

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC

panick21_ wrote: post #115

Epa095 wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Initially, he planned to remove dust from the surface of the photovoltaic cells using a cylindrical brush mounted on the rear of a train. “However, we realised that each time a train passes, it creates an airflow that sweeps away all the dust,” he said. https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/emissions-reduction/solar-energ...

Until you realize that polan is super stick and is really had to remove. I had a table outside and just 'blow away' dust didn't work at all. You need to actually clean with friction, water and cleaner.

So maintenance, which is required anyway.

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

#132

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC

jmward01 wrote: post #75

This is a great example of the solar ecosystem finding new niches. Tracks are likely good because there is already constant maintenance and inspections on them as well as ready hookup to the grid or, as the article mentions, directly providing power for trains. The point here isn't that this is 'the most efficient way to use solar' it is that it works and provides benefit. It is like agrovoltaics. The solar productio…

Solar Naysayers are so odd. "If it's not a 100% PERFECT solution we shouldn't do it"

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

#133

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC

comrade1234 wrote: post #77

CrzyLngPwd wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

WTF is the downvote for?

You didn't promote nuclear power.

And then dismiss any criticisms of it as "paid agitator"

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

#134

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:38 AM UTC

herbst wrote: post #71

mschuster91 wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> There's caternary on 99% of Swiss rail, every few dozen meters, that already transmits power. Switzerland runs on 15 kV catenary voltage. Transformers suitable for that kind of voltage cost a lot of money.

To be fair, swiss train tickets cost a lot of money too.

cries in British Rail

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

#135

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:39 AM UTC

ben_w wrote: post #23

therealpygon wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being right about things you have no control over is a bit like being right about your favorite flavor of jelly.

Of course. I have tried entrepreneurial stuff twice before, in my 20s, though without much success. Having ideas good enough to get investors interested is a sign that perhaps I should have another go at it.

Having ideas that you got interest in, developed the product, built out the website. And then never finished with. Which has since become a massive success for other people

cries

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

#136

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:40 AM UTC

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #25

Solar sidewalks, solar roads, now solar rail? WHY?! Dave from eevblog did the math and it's bad Did we really fill up all the area on top of roofs, parkings lots, industrial areas, etc., and we're running out, and we have to put solar cells on railroads?

Dave always points at them as "bad" because they can be better in other places.

But ignore the bit of "why not both"

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

#137

Post by marysol5 » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 10:42 AM UTC

prmoustache wrote: post #41

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #25

Solar sidewalks, solar roads, now solar rail? WHY?! Dave from eevblog did the math and it's bad Did we really fill up all the area on top of roofs, parkings lots, industrial areas, etc., and we're running out, and we have to put solar cells on railroads?

> Did we really fill up all the area on top of roofs, parkings lots, industrial areas, etc., and we're running out, and we have to put solar cells on railroads? I guess it is easier to control the deployment since they own the railroads.

"WHY DONT WE DO CARPARKS!"

"Because it's up to the owners?"

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

#138

Post by inigyou » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

ryanmcbride wrote: post #50

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.

I'll never understand why people latch onto these kinds of solar "solutions" in search of problems. Like that solar roadways fiasco a decade or so ago. Just normal-ass solar is already safe proven and effective. Why do we need to remix it when there are still so many easy wins to be achieved?

Because they are people who make trains. The people who own farms think about making solar fields. The people who own roads think about making solar roadways. The peo who make trains think about making solar trains. All of these possibilities can be trialed in parallel by different people. It is the same reason that if asked to design a combination lock safe, you would probably reach for a microcontroller and a keypad instead of a bucket of gears, because you are (I presume) a software person and the hardware people can try the other way.

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

#139

Post by Tostino » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 12:00 PM UTC

KptMarchewa wrote: post #110

dzhiurgis wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> empty rooftops That's just inefficient use of labour. I wish government used grants (or loans really) for solar farms instead. Batteries maybe, but even then it would be likely more efficient to install them on a substation level than every home.

> solar farms That's just inefficient use of land. On the battery point I agree.

Want to take a stroll on Google maps with me and see all the unused or underused land in the US? People don't actually take up all that much space.

I just did a cross country drive a few days ago. We are not constrained on land.

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

#140

Post by ajsnigrutin » Tue, Jul 07, 2026, 1:15 PM UTC

marysol5 wrote: post #136

ajsnigrutin wrote: post #25

Solar sidewalks, solar roads, now solar rail? WHY?! Dave from eevblog did the math and it's bad Did we really fill up all the area on top of roofs, parkings lots, industrial areas, etc., and we're running out, and we have to put solar cells on railroads?

Dave always points at them as "bad" because they can be better in other places. But ignore the bit of "why not both"

I mean.. that's like putting solar cells in the shade... i mean sure, they work better in the sun, but why not both? They still produce a few milliwats of power in the shade too.

For the amount of money spent here, we could've build quite a few kilowatts of power capacity on more traditional surfaces, like if the project had to be rail related, on eg. roofs of rail platforms.