Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and a huge consumer of diesel fuel. However, this is all about to change with the debut in New Delhi of it’s Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) with solar powered coaches.
The train was rolled out in New Delhi, one of the world’s most polluted cities on July 14. The Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu dedicated the 1600 HP DEMU train to the nation. The minister said the government was dedicated to conserving the environment and using more clean energy.
The entire electricity needs of the rail coaches are supplied by solar panels installed on the roofs of the cars. The panels will supply power for lighting and fans, as well as an Information Display System. The solar system also includes a smart MPPT inverter that optimizes power generation on the moving train so that power will even be generated during the night.
The six solar powered coaches are each equipped with 16 solar panels, capable of generating 300 watts each, giving each coach a peak capacity of 4.5 kilowatts. The system allows 20 kilowatt-hours of clean power to be generated per day. Additionally, a 120 AH battery system will store excess power generated during peak hours.
By Baishakhi Dutta
