Railroads & Solar Power: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Squeezing more solar power into the German railroad system is the aim of a new study, and the US railway industry could take a page or two from that book.Renewable energy has been quietly seeping into the US railroad industry, but the pace has been achingly slow. Things could pick up if a new solar power research project in Germany pans out. It aims for a sustainability twofer, by leveraging the built environment of railroads for direct electrification.
, it already has a favorable greenhouse gas emissions balance when it comes to consumption,” TÜV Rheinland observes, while emphasizing that the research project aims to improve on that picture.
US railways have a much longer row to hoe when it comes to integrating renewables, but there are signs that a change is coming, and it could come fast.electrifying the locomotivesOur friends over at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory point out that the US actually has a head start in that regard. Practically the entire fleet of locomotives in the US runs on. They deploy diesel fuel to power an on-board generator, which provides electricity for motors that drive the wheels.
“Improved battery technology plus access to cheap renewable electricity open the possibility of battery-electric rail. Here we show that a 241-km range can be achieved using a single standard boxcar equipped with a 14-MWh battery and inverter, while consuming half the energy consumed by diesel trains,” the Berkeley Lab team explained.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Wind & Solar=86% Of New US Power Capacity In January–OctoberWind and solar power have dominated new power capacity additions in 2021. They've also been at the forefront of power capacity growth in the United States in the past three years. New Power Capacity in
Read more »
Feast Your Eyes on The Annual Family Portraits Hubble Took of Our Solar System GiantsEvery year, Hubble takes a little time to turn its electronic eyes closer to home.
Read more »
Wind & Solar=14% of US Electricity Generation in OctoberIn October 2019, wind power and solar power accounted for 11.3% of US electricity generation. In October 2020, they accounted for 12.4% of US electricity generation. Just a couple of months ago, in October 2021,
Read more »
Meet the Thundertruck, an All-Electric 800 HP 4×4 Concept With ‘Bat Wing’ Solar PanelsThe solar awning expands when needed to help power the truck’s accessories—and reduce the burden on its battery.
Read more »
Poor weather contributes to power outages affecting thousands in Interior AlaskaHeavy snow and freezing rain - plus downed trees - contributed to the outages, Golden Valley Electric said. Freezing rain also brought icy road conditions to Southcentral and dialed up avalanche danger at Hatcher Pass.
Read more »