Switzerland turned its train tracks into solar power plants

ai_critic

Amazing what you can do in a high-trust society with long-term planning horizons.

bell-cot

Seems like you could put the same area of solar cells on short poles along suitable bits of RR right-of-way, slanted at the optimal angle for the sun, and get considerably more watts. At a much lower cost. Those between-the-rails cells have to be far tougher - think about the dynamic mechanical loads they could face in winter, when the RR ran a snowplow down the tracks.

nom

it is less stupid solar roadways, but it is still very stupid

WalterGR

"Solar rail could become common in Europe after successful trial in Switzerland" (euronews.com) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48794704 112 points | 11 days ago | 145 comments

empiricus

This looks like an IQ test. Do you know the difference between area and length?

DivingForGold

but then the homeless and needy came to the tracks at night and pilfered away all the panels . . .