Sun-Ways (Switzerland): The Global Pioneer of Between-Track Photovoltaics

The most notable breakthrough of 2023 came from Swiss startup Sun-Ways, which unveiled the world's first removable photovoltaic system designed to be installed between railway tracks.

Innovative Principle: The system utilizes idle space between rails. Prefabricated solar panels are laid between the two tracks like a "carpet" by a specially designed train that installs them as it moves forward. For maintenance, the same train can quickly retrieve the panels, ensuring flexible railway operations.

Key Data: Sun-Ways stated that if the system were deployed across Switzerland's entire railway network, it could generate approximately 1 TWh of solar energy annually – equivalent to 2% of the country's total electricity demand. The technology is highly adaptable globally and is theoretically suitable for about half of the world's railway lines.

Project Progress: The system began trial use in May 2023, with the first pilot project located near Buttes railway station in western Switzerland. It awaits final approval from the Swiss Federal Office of Transport. Sun-Ways received extensive coverage from multiple international energy media outlets for its outstanding contributions.

China: Comprehensive Practice of "PV + Railway" Across Multiple Scenarios

In 2023, China also demonstrated active exploration in the "rail + PV" field, with project implementations in several specific scenarios.

Using Idle Land Along Railways: The first phase of China's first PV-powered railway traction project (Phase I) broke ground in June 2023 on the Xinshuo Railway. The project utilizes idle land along the railway to build PV power stations and directly integrates 0.38 MW of green electricity into the railway's 10 kV power supply system to support traction power.

Maintenance Depot Parking Canopies: A parking canopy PV project at the Hefei Locomotive Depot of the Shanghai Railway Bureau was grid-connected and began power generation at the end of 2023, marking an important practice for solar energy utilization on railway-owned facilities in the Yangtze River Delta region.

Distributed PV Along High-Speed Rail Lines: A 2023 study using the Yinchuan–Xi'an high-speed railway (Ningxia section) as a case study demonstrated the feasibility of building distributed PV systems on idle land along high-speed rail lines, showing broad prospects for deploying solar arrays along major railway arteries.

Railway Bridge PV Retrofitting: The Huai'an High-Speed Railway Infrastructure Section completed a project in 2023 to relocate and upgrade solar panels on a railway bridge. By adopting reinforced steel plates, high-strength bolts, and other reinforcement techniques, the project accumulated valuable experience for future PV installations on railway structures.

Industry Awards and Outstanding Brands of 2023 (Mounting Systems)

In the critical field of PV mounting systems, several outstanding Chinese companies received major industry awards in 2023 for their product strength and technical capabilities.

2023 China Top 10 PV Mounting Brands: The ranking primarily considered comprehensive strength in business management, customer satisfaction, product and service quality, etc. Selected brands included: Arctech Solar, Jiangsu Guoqiang Xingsheng (Singsun), ATEC, TrinaTracker, Clenergy, Akcome Technology, and others.

2023 China Top 20 PV Mounting Companies: In this ranking, the top ten included Jiangsu Guoqiang Xingsheng, Arctech Solar, ATEC, Tianjin Xinrunhengxin, Tianjin Renhui New Energy, Jiangsu Huolan Electric, etc.

Special Awards and Innovation Honors: In annual industry selections, Solar First received the "Top 10 PV Mounting Brands" award, Suzhou Jusheng Technology won the "Influential PV Mounting Company" award, and Antai New Energy received both the "SunChaser Award" and "Skyscraper Award".

Key Technological Innovations in 2023

Technological progress is the core driver of industry development. In 2023, innovations in several areas provided solid support for the "rail + PV" model.

Tracking Systems: Jiangsu Guoqiang Xingsheng's GQ-T2 Chaoyang series tracking system can accommodate up to 120 modules per tracker, increasing power generation by approximately 15% compared to traditional fixed-tilt mounts. Ruizhi Zhonghe's flexible-drive rigid-structure tracking system offers ultra-long spans (up to 300 meters) and strong slope adaptability (up to 35 degrees), effectively handling complex terrain.

Installation & Construction Techniques: China Railway 11th Bureau filed a patent for an "arch-type PV panel installation trolley," providing a new solution for efficient installation on mountainous and other complex terrains. A project in Xinyu, Jiangxi, creatively borrowed the principle of train rails, using angle steel and fixed pulleys to solve the problem of transporting rooftop modules.

Spatial Expansion Solutions: A patent filed in 2023 proposed using functional trusses to mount PV panels above railway tracks, offering a new direction for three-dimensional utilization of railway space.

 Exhibitions and Market Trends in 2023

Various industry events in 2023 provided excellent platforms for technical and commercial exchange, collectively illustrating the broad prospects of the "PV + transportation" model.

Key Exhibitions: Throughout the year, numerous exhibitions were held, including PV and energy storage industry expos in Shanghai (July), Guangzhou (August), Xiamen (April), etc., covering the entire industry chain from mounting systems to energy storage. Additionally, the China International Modern Railway Technology & Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing (November) provided an important platform for showcasing rail-PV integration solutions.

Market Trends: Driven by carbon peak and neutrality goals, the "rail + PV" model is showing great potential by unlocking low-performing assets and optimizing energy structures. However, challenges such as cost, load-bearing capacity, and power generation integration remain areas for continuous improvement.