As COP31 gets underway, the Swiss startup that installs solar panels between railroad tracks is providing concrete proof: 15 months of operation, 11,000 trains, and no disruptions.
Joseph Scuderi, founder and CEO of Sun-Ways, has been named to the TIME100 Climate 2026 list in the “Innovators” category. This recognition follows his inclusion, a few weeks earlier, on The Independent’s Climate 100 List 2026 in the Tech & Entrepreneurs category. It comes on the very day that COP31 opens in Antalya, Turkey—a conference that, under his chairmanship, is focused on implementation.
A solar power plant between the tracks, without requiring new land
Sun-Ways has developed a system of removable photovoltaic panels installed between the rails of active railroad tracks. Installation is mechanized using a specially adapted rail-mounted machine, with a capacity of up to 1,000 m² per day. The panels can be removed to allow for track maintenance work.
This approach makes use of an area that has already been developed. It generates renewable electricity without taking up agricultural land or natural areas.
Buttes : Proof Through Farming
Since April 2025, Sun-Ways has been operating a pilot project on transN’s Line 221, near the Buttes station (canton of Neuchâtel):
- 100 meters of track, 48 380-watt panels, 18 kWp installed
- Estimated production: 16,000 kWh per year, fed into the local grid
- More than 15 months of operation and 11,000 trains have passed through, with no disruptions on the line
- Production in line with simulations
Time to scale up
COP28 set a goal of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030. Achieving this goal requires land. The global rail network, which spans thousands of cities and regions, provides a significant portion of this land—land that is already built out and connected to energy infrastructure.
With COP31, the international community aims to move from commitments to action. Sun-Ways sees this as confirmation of its approach: technology tested under real-world conditions and ready for deployment.
“There are those who talk, and those who take action.”
“Receiving these two awards within a few weeks is a source of immense pride, which I share with everyone who contributes to Sun-Ways’ growth and with all our partners. For two weeks in Antalya, there will be a lot of talk about goals and commitments. That’s necessary. But when it comes to climate action, statements alone aren’t enough: there are those who talk, and those who take action. In Buttes, 11,000 trains have passed over our panels without a single disruption. This is no longer just an idea—it’s proof. What’s missing now isn’t the technology; it’s the will to deploy it.”— Joseph Scuderi, founder and CEO of Sun-Ways
