Polish railways PKP will start relying on renewable energy sources and test solar cells as a source of energy for railway stations.
New eco-friendly train stations
According to the PKP press release, the first tests suggest that the electricity produced this way will be able to provide power to small and medium-sized railway stations, like Zakopane.
The installation in Nowy Sącz will show whether savings can be achieved with the transition to renewable energy. The company assures that the cost of purchase and installation of the solar panels will pay off in 10-11 years. The life span of the panels in question is 25 years.
For the first time a micro photovoltaic power installation of 3 kW was used by PKP in 2014 on a railway building in Katowice Stawiska.
Currently, the infrastructure manager is collecting data that will enable PKP to evaluate the possibility of a wider use of renewable energy in buildings and stations – explains Radosław Burak-Romanowski, Director of the Office of Energy at PKP PLK.
The company is also interested in the possibilities offered by the use of solar power for water heating. They are also considering the option of storing excess energy produced.
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