Jakson Group, in a release, said that it has become the first company in India to successfully commission a solar rooftop system with battery storage on diesel-run train. The 1600HP Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) coach of Indian Railways, which was equipped with solar-powered hotel load system installed by Jakson Engineers Ltd, was flagged off by Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, on July 14, 2017, from the Safdarjung Railway Station in Delhi.
The project will help offset carbon emissions by 9 tonnes per coach per year and also save about 21,000 litres of diesel for a solar-powered DEMU with six trailer coaches, thereby bringing cost saving of Rs.12 lakh every year. This is the first instance of a diesel-run passenger train fitted with solar rooftop system with battery backup. The system is capable of developing up to 20 kWh per day throughout the year. Surplus power generated during peak hours will be stored in a 120AH battery system. It will help in generating useful data for research for adapting the system for future rollout on all trains of Indian Railways. The solar system has been fitted with anti-theft mechanism which can withstand trains running with a speed of more than 100 kmph, the release said.
Jakson was awarded this project by the Indian Railways Organization for Alternate Fuels (IROAF), a unit of Indian Railways that works to promote bio-diesels and other environmentally benign alternative fuels for India’s rail network. As part of the pilot, a single coach was retrofitted with 16 solar panels, each producing 300 watts in ideal sunny conditions, generating a cumulative power of 4.8 kilowatts for each coach. The generated power will be used to power lights and fans inside the coaches for use by the passengers. This single solar PV project will help Indian Railways reduce carbon dioxide emissions of 300 tonnes and save 95,000 litres of diesel per rake annually.
Solar potential for Railways
The project, once adopted on a large scale, is expected to open up the gates for adoption of solar energy by Indian Railways, which is one of the largest railways networks in the world. As per estimates, a train using solar power can reduce diesel consumption by up to 90,000 litres per year and also bring down carbon dioxide emissions by over 200 tonnes. The Indian Railways consists of more than 50,000 DEMU passenger coaches. If all these coaches convert to solar energy, it could prove to be a big success for the solar industry.
According to its Vision 2020 document, the Indian Railways plans to meet 10 per cent of its energy needs from solar and outlined plans to set up 1,000 mw of solar capacity in the country. The Railways is aiming to save Rs 41,000 crore in the next 10 years on energy bill by switching to alternate fuels such as solar.
