Five Unusual Places To Install Solar Panels In Switzerland

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Solar energy is essential to achieving a zero-emission society, but it requires enough space for solar panels. From rails to lakes, here are some of the most curious and promising places to gather solar energy, according to the Swiss. This content was published on June 15, 2025 - 10:00 9 minutes

I cover climate change and energy through reportages, articles, interviews and in-depth reports. I am interested in the impacts of global warming on everyday life and solutions for an emission-free planet. Passionate about travel and discovery, I studied biology and other natural sciences. I have been a journalist for SWI swissinfo for more than 20 years.

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Switzerland wants to dramatically increase its solar energy production. By 2050, photovoltaics and other renewable sources will have to meet 60% of the country's electricity needs. Last year, Switzerland produced 7.5% of its electricity from the sun, according to the Swiss Federal Office of Energy. It's a higher share than the global average, but lower than in European countries such as Germany, Italy or Austria.

To reach its goal, Switzerland will have to quadruple its current capacity for solar installations, according to a recent reportExternal link .

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Roofs and building façades are the most suitable places to produce solar energy, with potential to produce more than ten times more electricity than today.

But some projects are targeting panel installation on more unusual surfaces – plans that have sparked interest abroad as well as controversy at home.

These are some of the most unique and promising Swiss ideas.

1. Along railway tracks
The Swiss company Bankset Energy has designed solar panels to be placed on railway sleepers. Bankset Energy

Why not do something with the unused space between Switzerland's 5,300 kilometres of railway tracks? Joseph Scuderi, founder of the startup Sun-Ways, asked himself this question a few years ago. The idea came to fruition in April, with the inauguration of a removable solar power plant along a stretch of railway tracks in Buttes , in western Switzerland. It is the first facility of its kind in the world.

The solar panels are placed between the rails and can be easily removed for maintenance. A three-year pilot project will assess whether and how solar power generation interferes with train operations, and vice versa.

Sun-Ways estimates that solar panels could be placed on half of the railway lines in the world. In Switzerland, they could cover 2% of national electricity consumption.

The Swiss innovation is attracting interest from companies in South Korea, Japan and other countries. Here's how it works:

More More Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants

This content was published on Apr 29, 2025 A Swiss start-up's system to quickly install and remove solar panels between train tracks is now being tested.

Read more: Switzerland turns train tracks into solar power plants

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