Summary
- The project is located in Buttes, Switzerland where a company called Sun-Ways has installed solar panels directly on an operational railway track.
- The company developed a system in which the solar panels are mounted on the 100-meter section of track and can be quickly removed whenever railway maintenance is required while trains continue to operate normally.
- According to the company, installing solar panels along one kilometer of railway track could generate around 200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity per year enough to supply approximately 60 homes annually.
Solar panels are most commonly installed on rooftops to generate clean and environmentally friendly electricity. However, one country has taken a different approach by using railway tracks as a platform for solar power generation. This innovative project began in April 2025 on a 100-meter railway track in Switzerland.
The project is located in Buttes, Switzerland where a company called Sun-Ways has installed solar panels directly on an operational railway track.
The company developed a system in which the solar panels are mounted on the 100-meter section of track and can be quickly removed whenever railway maintenance is required while trains continue to operate normally.
The pilot installation consists of 48 photovoltaic (PV) panels capable of generating a combined output of 18 kilowatts (kW). The passing trains do not damage the panels. A key feature of the project is its removable design allowing the panels to be easily taken off whenever maintenance work is needed on the railway.
The solar panels were installed in May 2025 and since then they have generated more than 16,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity enough to meet the annual electricity needs of several households.
Sun-Ways plans to continue testing the project until 2028. According to the company, installing solar panels along one kilometer of railway track could generate around 200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity per year enough to supply approximately 60 homes annually.
The company said the project demonstrates that existing infrastructure can be used to produce renewable energy, reducing the need to install solar panels on open fields, rooftops, forests or agricultural land.
So far, the trial has produced positive results and the movement of trains even helps keep the panels partially clean by reducing dust accumulation. The project has also attracted international interest. France is working with Sun-Ways to explore the potential of deploying this technology in its own railway network.
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