India's diesel-powered train network has a new kid on
the block. The gas-guzzling Indian Railway system has just debuted its
first solar-powered train, called the Diesel Electric Multiple Unit
(DEMU). It will operate in the city of New Delhi.
Placement of the solar panels on the train car was
challenging. Sandeep Gupta, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of
Jakson Engineers Limited (the company that produced and installed the
solar panels) told
Business Standard,
"It is not an easy task to fit solar panels on the roof of train
coaches that run at a speed of 80 km per hour." The panels feed into an
onboard battery that can store surplus power.
The train will still be pulled by a diesel
locomotive; the solar panels will only power passenger comfort systems,
such as lights, information displays and fans. Even so, Indian Railways
estimates that just one train with six solar-panel equipped cars will
save 21,000 liters (5,547 gallons) of diesel fuel per year, at a cost
savings around Rs12 lakh (almost $20,000).
Indian Railways is the
largest rail network in Asia,
running around 11,000 trains daily. The service moves roughly 13
million passengers every day. That translates to incredibly large fuel
bills; in 2015,
the service spent Rs16,395 crore ($2.5 billion) on diesel.
They've been trying to reduce their fuel consumption, in part by more
reliance on solar energy; the hope is that it will save them Rs41,000
crore ($6.31 billion) over the next 10 years.
Business Standard
Swapna Krishna,Engadget
21 hours ago
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