TÜV Rheinland assessing potential for PV-powered railways

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The study is to last for 14 months and will focus on three specific work packages. Image: TÜV Rheinland.

Technical advisory TÜV Rheinland has been commissioned to study the potential for solar PV to power rail infrastructure in Germany.

The project, launched by the German Center for Rail Traffic Research at the Federal Railway Authority, will explore how certain PV applications could be used to directly feed power into the rail system’s grid.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

It will explore the potential for track-integrated PV modules, featuring systems installed into track beds or integrated into noise barriers alongside rails, and look to solve technical barriers such as the requirement to feed power directly into the rail system’s 15kV, single-phase overhead network.

The 14-month project will also seek to identify how much solar could increase its share of renewable energy powering the railway system.

PV experts from TÜV Rheinland will work alongside railroad technology professionals on an interdisciplinary project.

Three work packages are to be implemented, including market research into PV systems that are relevant to railroads, including work on components necessary for the direct feed-in of power.

It will progress to identify areas of Germany’s rail infrastructure that would be best suited for solar PV applications, data from which will be used to deduce expected energy yields.

Lastly, the study will assess the requirements that would be placed on installed systems from a railroad regulation perspective, as well as possible barriers and restrictions that could be placed on such systems.

“If it turns out to be possible to generate energy along the widely ramified railway electrification system and feed it in directly, thereby making better use of existing infrastructure and reducing energy losses through multiple conversion and transport, the rail mode of transport could further improve its greenhouse gas balance,” TÜV Rheinland’s rail technology expert Jürgen van der Weem, said.

Similar studies and pilot projects have been launched elsewhere. The UK government’s Department for Transport released a tranche of funding in 2019 to support trials using solar alongside transport infrastructure, building on a study launched in 2017 compiled by London’s Imperial College that found that up to 10% of the UK rail network’s entire power demand could be met by solar installed along its routes.

Read Next

July 18, 2025
Companies have signed 4.22GW of solar PV power purchase agreements in the first half of 2025, according to Swiss consultancy Pexapark.
July 18, 2025
PV Tech spoke with international buyers and investors on key industry issues such as new technology equipment procurement, supply chain management and ESG compliance.
July 17, 2025
Germany’s latest rooftop solar PV and noise barrier auction ended up undersubscribed and awarded only 255MW.
July 15, 2025
Greater policy clarity will be needed if Germany is realise its FPV potential, according to a report from Fraunhofer ISE.
July 14, 2025
For the first time ever, solar PV was the biggest source of electricity in June 2025, according to data from energy think tank Ember.
July 8, 2025
Germany could install 500GW of new solar agrivoltaics (agriPV) capacity on its most 'suitable' land, according to Fraunhofer ISE.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines