France has thousands of kilometers of unused train tracks. So you are covering them with solar panels
Solar panels and wind turbines have placed us in a complicated decision: aesthetics or generating electricity? Beyond Impact on living beings of the environment in which these renewable projects are installed, it is undeniable that They have a huge visual impact. That’s why, New transparent solar panels for windows or hide them on roads They sound like a great idea. In Switzerland they have developed a project for Place solar panels on the train tracksand now France has copied the idea. Invisible panels. With the name of ‘Solveig Project’, the French rail operator SNCF It has developed, through its Arep subsidiary, a project to create a solar plant that can be deployed on the roads that the company controls. They explode about 32,000 kilometers of lines, so, if the project is successful, the potential is huge. The idea is simple, but ingenious: take advantage of the rails to install solar panels, while batteries and investors are stored in modular containers. For now, Solveig is a pilot project that has started with the installation of eight solar panels at the Achères Technical Center, where they will be tested for six months. Facilities. Having a storage solution such as containers, which include investors and batteries, it is possible for the company to transport these assets as far as it is needed. It also facilitates their installation. As Comment the Director of Innovation of AREP to PV Magazine, the development of a photovoltaic panel transport system through ISO containersas well as its installation on the roads, “it facilitates both the deployment of the panels and the reversibility of the installation.” The operation does not require a complex installation, since a mechanical arm is responsible for downloading the panels, which are subsequently fixed to the tracks to prevent the wind from moving them. And, being temporary, does not require foundations. In addition, the containers are modular and the rail infrastructure is not compromised. Self -consumption. The idea is that this solar solution feeds the internal consumption needs of SNFC, as well as local uses around the facilities. The potential is gigantic, but, although AREP considers that it is possible to export this solution to both Europe and the rest of the world, we must wait to see the results of the pilot project. In addition, the idea would be to implement this system in out -of -service railways, all to add energy to the network that operates SNCF, since 80% of the national trains of the same work with electricity. In addition, he has the commitment To deploy 1,000 MW for 2030, and fill the panel tracks would be a good support. Next steps. The following steps of the Solveig project will focus on improving system efficiency and reducing costs to make it viable on a large scale. Although there is still no definite calendar for industrialization, the potential is evident: SNCF has more than 113,800 hectares of operational land that could become authentic solar parks over rails. In short, if the project gives good results, it is only a matter of time before more countries are uploaded to this new “train” of renewable energy. And, speaking of Switzerland, they are very committed to not shaving their green fields and, apart from the panels on the train tracks, also They are installing them on road walls. We just hope this experiment Do not leave like the one on the solar roadalso in France. Images | SNCF, Arep In Xataka | The bats of Spain live times of uncertainty. The reason, according to the CSIC: the wind turbines
