JR Tokai to mount perovskite solar cells on bullet train noise barriers

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai), which operates the Tokaido Shinkansen Line, has announced plans to install perovskite solar cells on noise barriers along its tracks. The company expects to use electricity generated by these cells to power lighting at stations and other rail-related facilities. The noise barriers will cover about 650 kilometers of track.

Demonstration experiments will start at a research center in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, and elsewhere this month, using perovskite solar cells jointly developed with Sekisui Chemical.

 

For the experiments, prototype solar cells will be subjected to levels of vibration and wind pressure expected from a bullet train passing at high speed.

Photovoltaic performances will also be tested in other outdoor environments.

The Tokaido Shinkansen Line generally runs in an east-west direction between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations, and plans reportedly call for the solar cells to be installed on guide rails attached to the outer side of the south-facing noise barrier walls.

JR Tokai will consider the actual implementation based on how its experiments proceed.

Source: 
Posted: Jan 05,2025 by Roni Peleg