A tunnel that was initially built to protect high-speed trains from falling trees in an old-growth forest in Belgium now has a new function: generating power to run the trains. The tunnel, which is roughly two miles long and covers a section of the line between Paris and Amsterdam, was recently fitted with 16,000 solar panels by the Belgian renewable energy company, Enfinity. The panels will generate approximately 50 percent of the electricity required by an adjacent station in Antwerp as well as enough electricity to power all of Belgium’s trains for a full day every year.
The addition of solar panels to the tunnel yields benefits for both the Belgium economy and local train operators. Explains Bart Van Renterghem of Enfinity, “For train operators, it is the perfect way to cut their carbon footprints because you can use spaces that have no other economic value.”
Wow. That is a good use of extra roof space. If US citizens knew about the solar power tax incentives that are available, maybe more people would add these solar panels to their roofs.
ReplyDeleteA good residential solar power system can reduce the amount of electricity that a power plant needs to generate and transmit. That is good for everyone.