From pv magazine India.
Indian Railways – the nation’s largest electricity consumer, with 2.4% of total consumption, and the third largest high-speed diesel user, with 2.6 billion liters consumed annually – plans to become the world’s first 100% ‘green’ railway network in 10 years’ time.
The ambitious plan is an extension of Indian Railways’ bid to develop 1 GW of solar energy generation capacity this fiscal year – and meet 10% of its energy demand from renewables – and to hit the 5 GW capacity mark by 2025.
Announcing the 100% clean energy ambition in the Rajya Sabha upper house of the Indian parliament, minister for railways Piyush Goyal said Indian Railways plans to install 1 GW of solar and 200 MW of wind power plants across its national estate. The rail operator has already installed 88 MW of solar capacity and 103 MW of wind facilities.
“Indian Railways have already provided solar panels on [the] rooftop of 19 narrow gauge coaches and 40 broad gauge, non-air conditioned coaches which are presently in service,” said Goyal in a written reply to parliament. “Also, rooftop solar panels have been provided on 50 goods guard brake vans to supply electricity for [a] fan, light and a charging point for the guards.”
Carriage limitations
The minister, however, highlighted constraints on installing panels on top of train coaches. “The weight of solar panels on coach rooftops is an additional constraint,” said Goyal. “Hence, the provision of solar panels on [the] rooftop of train coaches is presently under [an] experimental stage and hence not considered for installation on all train coaches.”
Power output from panels on moving trains is affected by frequent changes in direction and shadows cast by trees and trackside buildings, he added.
Indian Railways plans to develop 30 GW of solar generation capacity on some of its 51,000 hectares of vacant land.
In its Decarbonizing Indian Railways report in 2017, Delhi-based non profit the Council on Energy, Environment & Water stated Indian Railways could install up to 5 GW of generation capacity by 2025, with about 1.1 GW from rooftop projects and 3.9 GW from utility scale assets. That would provide a quarter of the rail operator’s electricity from renewables.
Hitting that target would create thousands of clean energy jobs, generate $4 billion in private investment and contribute 5% of the national solar target of installing 100 GW of solar generation capacity, according to the rail operator’s Powering Indian Railways: 5 GW by 2025 study.
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It is possible to install 50 GW solar plants & wind power plants (to possible extent).
Solar panels can be installed on 1,00,000 km track length in stilt manner i.e. 5 to 6 meters
above railway track (barring tunnels etc.). This will generate & provide 75 Billion Units (KWh)
per year. This will also provide some protection to coaches from hot sun.
The gaps between panel rows can be filled with Poly carbonate sheets whereby the
roof will also harvest 1 Billion cubic meters of rain water catering need of water for drinking
& domestic use by 650 million people. Such roof harvesting solar & rain water will in addition,
provide full protection from hot sun.
Very nice idea need to implement at the earliest and become green Indian railways. All the best IR
Sir,good morning.First salute to u for great idea.In case of static panel errection and maintenance cost may be more as compared to putting panel on coach roof. We Indians through out the year have sun rays so solar energy is available throughout the year and solar panels,if installed on roof of all premises then it give electricity throughout the year and avoid leakage on top floor during monsoon.This Govt.being dynamic may take fast decision and action.All the best.One more idea as village has its water,food and garbage to fertilizer system and recycle.In same pattern people in towns and cities should send garbage and waste water to place wherefrom they received food,vegetables and water so soil and water at villages will not erode when getting cheap fertilizer and water treated to remove toxic elements and towns will not have problems of disposal of garbage and drainage.Sir.thanks.
India become a green world