Solar railway - bad idea or bad idea?

[jon0844]

If they get down to 20-30 quid then there's an argument for slinging them on vertical walls, where they can be put up by an enthusiastic amateur with a stepladder

This is what a lot of people are doing (source: YouTube videos).

Can look a bit messy but free electricity..

And you can actually get solar fence panels to slot in to existing posts. If my son didn't batter our panels with a football, I'd consider them. Mind you, perhaps they're designed to be tough enough for that?

 

[rmHawk765]

Perhaps step away from the Tufton Street talking points!

Solar panels aren't an inherently bad idea by any means - but unfortunately they're just being pushed hard to the unaware public without acknowledging the fact that proper recycling is necessary and not currently readily available. This isn't really a talking point, it's just the unfortunate truth about this whole situation.

There is a point to be made about meeting the The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2013 (WEEE Regs) but solar panels are no worse or better than many electrical items.

The thing is, we have been recycling those more standard electrical items for decades now. It is readily available in a lot of places. And strict regulations have been put in place and are actually followed so the vast majority of newer electrical items do not contain anything that make it particularly difficult to recycle. This isn't the case for solar panels at the minute.

I am also not sure solar panel waste is "toxic" - it is mainly copper, aluminium, glass, plastic and silicon. Now, as for making pure enough silicon, now that is FAR from green!

Well yes, a properly made solar panel works well, lasts a long time, and does not contain any toxic compounds. But unfortunately many models seem to contain things like lead and that suddenly makes it far harder to dispose of without essentially negating any environmental benefit the panel provided during its lifetime.

 

[najaB]

There's a lot of cynicism on here but what the heck is wrong with trial and error?

There's trial and error, and there's thermodynamics.

 

[PyrahnaRanger]

Switch on for world's first on-track solar power

The world's first solar power plant installed on an operational railway line has been officially switched on in the Neuchâtel mountains in Switzerland.

www.railadvent.co.uk

I must be missing something here, surely the panels will get covered in dirt and muck within weeks? And maintenance access is going to be a nightmare.

Does anyone think this is really a viable thing?

Enough people thought it viable enough to trial...

Good job they didn't ask on here first, they'd never bother getting out of bed in the morning!

To quote the article, they are doing these tests to determine the effect on the infrastructure of the railway that the panels have, and the effect the railway has on the panels. If the entire network was covered, it would generate 1TWH per year, or 30% of what the railway uses.

On those numbers I think it's right to give it a go and see what happens. It might be a complete waste of time, but what if it isn't?

Oh, and they've developed a machine to install them, to make life even easier.

Pony and trap? We'd still be arguing if it was worth moving onto dry land!

 

[AndrewE]

Enough people thought it viable enough to trial...

Good job they didn't ask on here first, they'd never bother getting out of bed in the morning!

To quote the article, they are doing these tests to determine the effect on the infrastructure of the railway that the panels have, and the effect the railway has on the panels. If the entire network was covered, it would generate 1TWH per year, or 30% of what the railway uses.

On those numbers I think it's right to give it a go and see what happens. It might be a complete waste of time, but what if it isn't?

Oh, and they've developed a machine to install them, to make life even easier. Pony and trap? We'd still be arguing if it was worth moving onto dry land!

I wonder what the carbon footprint will be of the machine they need to build and the chemicals to run it to keep the panels clean and generating?

Solar panels are cheaper than roof tiles now, so why put them in places where they will get dirty when you can install them on all new roofs - and rebuild roofs with them instead?

 

[I'm here now]

I'd start with putting panels as roofs over motorway carriageways: larger surface area and easier to maintain (just close a lane in the area of work) compared to the above idea.

Closing down motorways would be much more effective but that’s far too radical…

 

[Meerkat]

Wouldn’t work on our railways as they are in the shade from all the trees……….
Covering southwest facing embankments and cuttings seems more sensible, and might keep the vegetation under control (though rather poor for rain run off……)

 

[Tomos y Tanc]

I wonder what the carbon footprint will be of the machine they need to build and the chemicals to run it to keep the panels clean and generating?

Well, presumably that's the whole point of the trial!

As someone said up-thread these phoney talking points from the fake think-tanks in Tufton Street are getting very dull.

 

[contrex]

Given that (if my quick search is right) we might see 500 or 600 W/m squared in Switzerland, and trains generally take megaWatts, you will need thousands of metres squared to power a passing train...
it obviously falls at the first crude numerical assessment, and isn't worth wasting any further time on - even without the practicalities of cleaning off wheel and rail wear or access to running lines...

As far as I can see, generating railway traction current is not the intention, rather the use of railway right-of-way to install panels for augmenting the local grid for general purposes.

 

[AndrewE]

As far as I can see, generating railway traction current is not the intention, rather the use of railway right-of-way to install panels for augmenting the local grid for general purposes.

quite possibly, but I can think of loads more spaces/surfaces which are more easily accessible and with fewer complications, let alone a lot cleaner. Maybe they have already got every square metre of car-park, building roof and unshaded retaining wall covered in pv?

 

[jon0844]

Someone who has previously debunked solar for roads and rail has released an updated video relating to the Swiss trial: