Solar Power On Indian Rails

The Indian Railways has really been gung-ho about renewable energy and has plans to deploy as much as 5000 MW of solar energy by 2025. The Railways has already started to reduce its massive electricity costs by purchasing cheaper power and set up solar panel systems at its offices and on top of railway stations. It is also exploring directly by buying cheap solar power from large-scale utility solar power plants just as the Delhi Metro Station has done in the case of the Rewa solar park in Madhya Pradesh.

The Railways is now trying out a new scheme to increase renewable energy procurement by planning to install 4.5 kW of flexible solar panels on the roofs of train coaches. Flexible solar panels have also been used earlier on the ships in the Indian Navy.  These panels are used because of their extremely light weight which allows it to be installed over a much larger area without any substantial additional weight thus saving any damage to your roof. These solar panels will generate electricity and power the lights and AC in the coaches. The plan is to run 250 coaches with these solar panel systems. About 6 coaches will be trialed initially and after the performance for 2 months, it will be rolled out across the country.

Read about different types of solar panels here.

The energy needs of Indian Railways are massive with the railway’s ministry running hundreds of trains and consuming vast amounts of power. Not only does the Railways run trains but also hospitals, schools, and various other commercial operations. With solar energy becoming cheaper by the day, it not only makes sense for the Railways to use solar to fight climate change but also to lower its costs.

Also, read solar on CST Railway Station.