Sun-Ways installs 18 kW removable solar panels on train tracks

Swiss startup Sun-Ways has deployed a solar railway prototype: 48 removable panels across 100 meters of track generate 18 kW. The panels can be lifted off by special machinery to keep trains running; scaling to Switzerland's 5,000 km of track could yield up to 1 TWh per year.

• Prototype: 48 panels over 100 m of track, 18 kW output
• Removable panels let maintenance proceed without halting trains
• Switzerland's 5,000 km of track could host up to 1 TWh annually
• Drawbacks: flat mounting, vibration, dirt and higher cost