Switzerland plans to use roads and railways to produce electricity

Estimates in the report indicate that solar panels placed on barriers to noise reduction along the edges of highways and railway lines in Switzerland, as well as on buildings and platforms of highways and railways, can produce 101 GWh of electricity per year.

101 GWh of electricity would be enough to supply 22,000 families in Switzerland, according to the report. 101 GWh is about 0.2% of Switzerland's current annual electricity consumption of 55700 GWh. 22,000 is about 0.1% of the country's households.

In September 2021, President Guy Parmelin warned of possible power shortages in Switzerland, so the government is under pressure to find ways to increase electricity production, further conveys albinfo.ch.

The report, commissioned by the Federal Road Department (FEDRO), estimated that Swiss highways could produce 55 GWh and its 46 GWh rail network a year. The generation potential of all countries is 438 GWh, however, installing solar panels on many sound barriers is not economically sustainable if factors such as exposure to the sun, proximity to consumers and transmission are taken into account.

However, the report's authors stress that technology continues to improve in terms of cost and performance, and sites that are currently unstable may not remain so.