Switzerland to install solar panels on railway tracks in first-of-its-kind project: Swiss start-up Sun-Ways has been granted approval to launch a pilot project that will see the company install removable solar panels on railway tracks in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, Euro News reports. Beginning in spring 2025, the three-year pilot project will test solar panels laid out like carpet using a specially designed train. The panels will cover 100 meters of track to produce electricity for the power grid.

About the tech: Sun-Ways’ patented removable system, developed with the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), allows the panels to be smoothly removed for needed track maintenance. If successful, the technology could be expanded to cover much of Switzerland's 5.3k km rail network to generate 1 TWh of solar energy annually, contributing 2% of the nation's total consumption.

Challenges remain: Some have pointed to weather functionality problems and safety concerns like panel cracks that can cause fire risk or reflections distracting drivers. Sun-Ways said it is addressing these issues with more durable materials, anti-reflective coatings, and ice-melting technology.

Sun-Ways has expansion plans: The company plans to expand globally eyeing potential projects in Spain, Romania, and South Korea. “We believe that 50% of the world's railways could be equipped with our system,” Sun-Ways co-founder Baptiste Danichert told SWI Swissinfo last year.

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