More than 3,000 miles of railways span the Swiss countryside, creating Europe’s most dense rail network and connecting Alpine villages with major cities such as Zurich and Geneva. A start-up company called Sun-Ways, in partnership with Swiss public transit operator TransN, is exploring a novel approach to harness this existing infrastructure for clean energy: installing solar panels between railway tracks.
Since April of last year, Sun-Ways and TransN have operated a pilot project on a short section of track near the village of Buttes to test the concept. The initial results have been promising, with the pilot demonstrating that solar panels can be effectively positioned between rails without interfering with train operations. Valerio Tamellini, project manager at TransN, described the technology as “rock solid” and noted that if adopted widely, Sun-Ways estimates solar installations along Switzerland’s 4,800-kilometer rail network could supply up to 30 percent of the country’s energy needs for public transportation.
Following this example, the French national railway company SNCF signed an agreement with Sun-Ways in February to evaluate similar deployments across its extensive 18,000-mile network. Nicolas Phan-Trong, who leads energy and decarbonization efforts at SNCF, emphasized an ambition to become a significant solar energy producer. SNCF is currently testing at least ten different solar panel designs and considering larger-scale installations. An added advantage cited is that solar panels placed between rails help suppress weed growth, potentially lowering track maintenance costs and offsetting some installation expenses.
South Korea has also embraced the technology, with the government approving a two-year pilot at the Korea Railroad Research Institute’s test track starting in September. In each case, the Sun-Ways design uses pistons that press the panels against the steel rails, allowing single workers to move panels aside in about 10 minutes for rail maintenance. This system, developed by founder Joseph Scuderi, builds on earlier patented ideas but offers enhanced operational flexibility.
A key motivation behind such projects is the escalating challenge of finding suitable land for solar farms. Traditional ground-mounted solar arrays require roughly two and a half acres per megawatt of capacity, limiting expansion opportunities in many regions. By utilizing existing rail corridors, the Sun-Ways approach addresses spatial constraints while tapping into underused land.
Italian engineer and energy consultant Giuseppe Fulco, having acquired a license from Sun-Ways, plans to launch a pilot in Italy within the next year. He estimates that covering 20 percent of Italy’s railway lines—approximately 2,500 miles—with solar installations could generate up to one gigawatt of power, enough for about a million homes.
The push to increase renewable energy on rail networks aligns with broader European goals to meet rising electricity demand driven by vehicle electrification, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance energy independence following the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine in 2022.
Despite the potential, challenges remain. Electrical engineer Julien Pouget of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland Valais highlighted concerns about energy losses when transmitting excess electricity from rail-mounted solar arrays to other locations or into the grid. To address this, he and his team are developing specialized electrical architectures intended to minimize transmission losses, which could improve the feasibility of scaling such projects.
Cost considerations also factor into the equation. Fulco noted that since rail companies already own the land beneath tracks, development costs may be lower than for conventional solar farms. Tamellini anticipates that financial viability will become clearer as the Buttes pilot continues through 2028 and as similar projects advance in other countries. If the economics prove favorable, he suggested the technology could see widespread adoption.