Sun-Ways takes its rail-mounted solar technology to Italy, France and South Korea

Sun-Ways, the company behind the world’s first removable solar power plant installed on an active rail line, is moving from pilot to commercial deployment. Following its plant in Buttes, in the Neuchâtel mountains, the start-up has signed an agreement with its first commercial partner in Italy, where its first installation is scheduled for the coming months.

The Italian market is a significant opening: the government there has set a goal of adding 2 GW of solar energy to the national rail network. The company’s technology, which places photovoltaic panels between the rails while remaining compatible with rail traffic, was conceived from an observation made on a station platform in Renens.

In France, Sun-Ways has signed a technology agreement with the national railway company SNCF and is acting as an expert in the upcoming implementation of ready-to-use rail-mounted solar systems on the French network, one of the largest in Europe.

The company has also received approval from the South Korean government for the first project using its technology in Asia. According to CEO and founder Joseph Scuderi, who has met numerous Asian delegations at the Swiss pilot site, countries including China, Singapore and Indonesia have expressed interest in deploying the solution.