Solar power generation at high-speed railway stations

Can distributed photovoltaic generation and energy storage systems be used in high-speed railways?

Zhiming et al. study the optimal planning of distributed photovoltaic generation (DPVG) and energy storage systems (ESSs) for the traction power supply system (TPSS) of the high-speed railway. This lecture demonstrates the potential and applicability of DPVG and ESS to the high-speed railway industry [ 7 ].

Should solar PV be introduced into the railway energy supply system?

Solar PV generation is concentrated in the daytime period, matching the railway load, so it is appropriate to introduce solar PV generation into the railway’s energy supply system (IEA,2019). Therefore, a series of railway system transformations are needed to fully exploit this advantage.

Can photovoltaics be used to power high-speed trains?

China has built the world's largest high-speed railway (HSR) network, which has fueled regional economic growth. Mounting photovoltaics (PV) on the roofs of HSR station houses and platforms can potentially provide electricity for high-speed trains, change the energy mix, and reduce emissions.

Can solar power a railroad station?

The application of existing railroad station infrastructure and available land along the railroad line for PV generation can power high-speed trains and provide excess renewable energy to surrounding users [58, 59]. Solar buses have also shown high potential owing to the development of solar panels and electric vehicles .

Which railway stations are underexploited by solar power?

The Beijingnan Railway Station, the first large-scale railway station in China to use solar power, is also underexploited in terms of its PV potential. This station has installed 3264 solar panels thus far, with a total power of merely 245 kW. A similar problem occurs at the Shanghai Hongqiao Station. The PV potential of the BS-HSR is very high.

Can railway PV supply power to the HSR?

The lowest daily PV generation is 1334 MWh, which still covers 60% of the electricity consumption. These results indicate the high potential of the railway PV system to supply power to the HSR and show that the railway system is not highly reliant on the storage system, which undoubtedly cuts the system costs.