Gain Assessment of Powering Train Loads With Rooftop Solar Panels: Case study of Morocco

Rail transport contributes indirectly but remarkably to the emission of polluting gases in the atmosphere. The adoption of Green Energy in trains power supply becomes necessary, in order to reduce the energy costs and decrease the amount of gas emitted, to develop a more sustainable and environmentally rail transport system. The aim of this work is to evaluate the gain in production and benefits obtained by covering the roof of the train (coral type) with photovoltaic panels. To this end, a mathematical model of a photovoltaic unit on the train’s roof is designed, calculated and implemented in the Matlab Simulink environment. The calculation is performed on the railway trip between Fez and Marrakech (560kms) in Moroccan railway Network. The amount of electrical energy produced obtained covers a high rate of train internal loads, such as lighting and air conditioning. Moreover, it is a solution to reduce the power absorbed by the train from the main supply (locomotive or generator wagon).