Source: Kottke
A pilot project in Switzerland has deployed solar panels in the narrow gaps alongside railroad infrastructure, turning wasted linear space into energy generation without competing for land. Rail corridors crisscross densely populated regions across Europe and North America, making them potentially valuable real estate for distributed energy without the political friction of rooftop or agricultural solar installations. If scalable, this model could let utilities and rail operators jointly monetize infrastructure they already maintain, creating a new revenue stream for transit systems while adding generation capacity near load centers.