Switzerland is taking innovation to the next level in the era where renewable energies are becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives! According to Swiss Info, removable solar panels will be installed between the tracks on railway lines, a system that was patented by the start-up Sun-Ways and developed in partnership with the “École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne”.

Next May, rolls of photo-voltaic panels will be deployed on the tracks like a carpet, near the Buttes station in western Switzerland, for a full-scale test.

According to Suiss Info, Baptiste Danichert — co-founder of the start-up — explains:

The space between the railway tracks is large enough to install standard-sized photo-voltaic panels without hindering train traffic, The solar panels placed between the rails have no visible or environmental impact.

The recovered electricity can be used to power the railway network’s switching and signaling system, as well as be redistributed to private households in the area, the network can produce about 1 TWh of solar energy per year, which is approximately 2% of the country’s electricity consumption, according to Swiss Info.

As highlighted by Science & Vie, Germany is also interested in this innovation as Deutsche Bahn, in partnership with Bankset Energy, will test the installation of solar cells on the railroad ties in Saxony.

The increasing number of countries taking on eco-friendly initiatives like this one is a positive sign that our collective efforts may result in a more sustainable and environmentally conscious world for future generations.