Swiss startup Sun-Ways has received the green light from Switzerland's Federal Office of Transport (FOT) to proceed with a pilot project that will see an 18-kW solar installation built between the tracks of an operational railway line.
Located in the canton of Neuchatel, the project will involve the placement of 48 removable solar modules, each with a capacity of 380 W, along a 100-meter stretch of railway. The installation is expected to produce 16,000 kWh of electricity annually.
The project, which costs CHF 585,000 (USD 687,951/EUR 623,202), will use technology developed by Swiss railway equipment firm Scheuchzer Ltd, which has created a machine capable of installing up to 500 solar panels per day.
In addition to this Swiss project, Sun-Ways plans to develop similar solar ventures in France, Spain, Romania, and South Korea, while engaging in discussions with potential partners in China, Thailand, Australia, and the USA.
