Switzerland Unveils World’s First Operational Solar Railway Project
Switzerland Unveils World’s First Operational Solar Railway Project
cleantechnica.com
Switzerland Unveils World's First Operational Solar Railway Project - CleanTechnica
22 comments
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This is only slightly less stupid than "float-ovoltaics" or "solar freakin' roadways!!!"
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It's probably not the best idea but it's considerably less stupid than those, seeing as they managed to actually build one
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Yeah, we'll see. There are so many possible issues with this, starting with why. We still have plenty of roofs to cover which are easy, predictable and yield better output for much lower price. Then there are issues with vibrations, efficiency and pollution at least.
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Don't get me wrong I still think it's dumb
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Converting roofs into solar is simple and cool if you don't know anything about any of that. Then so many problems emerging, you start going crazy and yearn for the simplicity and straightforwardness of a floating solar platform.
And that's before you remember that not all of the world is US and most people don't actually live in a detached house with a roof.-
Huh, what? While placing solar panels on the roof isn't ideal, it's far from problematic. And roofs aren't only on resident houses, you have plenty of industrial ones which are usually even better as they are flat.
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From the government perspective, first of all you need to redesign your electrical grid, from scratch, everything, from ground up. After which you will be left with the electrical production you can't predict, can't control, can't regulate, which will grow or shrink at the intervals you, once again, can't control or even predict. And that's if we're talking about sensitive models of giving people subsidies so they can put panels themselves. If I start thinking about the logistics of some agency putting solar on people's roofs, my head starts hurting.
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Space is at a premium in many parts of Switzerland and a lot of the available land is privately owned. This MIGHT be the easiest way to deploy solar in the specific rail sections being considered and may only generate a small portion of the needed electricity.
So it might be the simplest effective idea for the region.
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One of the big positives is that the "mounting frame" is already there and pretty consistent, you don't need to clear land and build things. So they just drive a custom train over that basically clip in removable panels.
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22 comments