Group of South African teenagers build the country's first solar-powered train

Young people from South Africa develop a solar-powered train that could change the lives of many people in the region. The country is experiencing constant power outages and crises that have worsened with the pandemic.

A group of South African teenagers, after years of watching their parents frustrated at not being able to use the trains due to the constant lack of energy, decided to develop a train solar powered. With solar panels installed on the roof, the train is able to run along tracks over a length of 500 m, in Soshanguve, north of the capital.

Young people develop solar-powered train after 15 years of power cuts

Trains are the cheapest means of transport in the South African country, used mainly by low-income citizens and working classes. According to 18-year-old Ronnie Masindi, his parents no longer use rail transport due to cable thefts and cargo drops, referring to continuous failures in coal plants old.

The public power company, Eskom, started imposing intermittent power cuts about 15 years ago, so that a nationwide blackout doesn't happen. Called on-site load dips, these electricity supply outages have gotten worse over the years, impacting commerce and industry, including the railways.

The service of the state-owned logistics company Transnet is also hampered by the theft of electrical cables, which has increased due to the economic crisis generated by the pandemic.

Teenagers will receive government help to develop the solar-powered train in the best possible way

At first, the solar-powered train project went through several difficulties, mainly in relation to funding, until the government decided to contribute.

The vehicle can travel up to 30 km/h and was displayed at a recent university innovation exhibition in South Africa. So far, the prototype has made only 10 round trips. The objective is to carry out more studies and present them to the government, as a model that can be used.

According to the teacher responsible for overseeing the project, Kgomotso Maimane, it has been found that if students are given time, resources and some guidance, they can do the same as any other student around the world. The solar-powered train even has a television for passenger entertainment.

Solar panels are installed at a train station in São Paulo

Last year, in the city of São Paulo, solar panels were installed in Vila Olímpia through a partnership between Banco Santander and Eletromidia, A EDP, a company that operates in all sectors of the energy market, was responsible for the solar energy system capable of producing 8,5 kWh of renewable energy per month.

The intention of the station with solar energy equipment is to contribute to a more pleasant experience on the path of people who walk in the station.

After carefully analyzing the station flows, Eletromidia's creative team brought several solutions that reduce the environmental impact, generating sustainability concepts and improving the circulation and permanence of users.