Solar-Powered Tram Network Proposed In Melbourne (World’s Largest)
Jumping off the tram or bus to roam city streets, drink in the
architecture, or just arrive at work in an urban area would be so much
better if air quality were fresh and fine. Melbourne, Australia,
considers this very thing and intends to leave behind those suffocating,
smelly fossil fuels… at least, to a degree. With a blueprint for an
entirely solar-powered tram network in Melbourne (which would be the
world’s largest), the capital city of Victoria could soon become a world
leader while seeking pure air.
Australians in Melbourne have been negotiating with the various state
(Victorian) government bodies for the past four years. They project how
much better the tram would be as a viable alternative transportation
mode if the tram’s energy source were solar, resulting in zero
emissions. A solar tram or bus will keep the urban air cleaner, quieter,
and more breathable through cutting atmospheric and noise pollution in
large cities.
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Digital visualization by Australia Solar Group.
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The Age Victoria explains
that the Australian Solar Group (ASG) is the company supporting this
proposal. ASG is intent on establishing this project, and its progress
appears one step closer towards gaining approval from the Victorian
Government. The Age Victoria comments that Melbourne’s plans to
power its entire tram network by solar waits on the state government,
which needs to give this ambitious renewable energy proposal the green
light.
Expecting to see rooftop panels on the top of trams? You won’t. In
fact, two new solar farms will generate the power if the project
proponents do what they intend to do (build near Swan Hill and
Mildura). The two solar farms would generate about 80 gigawatt-hours of
electricity a year, about the same amount used by Melbourne’s tram
network.
Yes. This. It is an important undertaking to phase out conventional
fuels such as coal, oil, and gas. Melbourne claims to have the world’s
largest tram network — averaging over 3.5 million trips per week across a
250-kilometre double-track network. Solarizing that would be a
wonderful step forward.
Stoking the renewable push, The Age Victorian reports this
proposal would neither increase fares for commuters nor cause rises in
electricity bills for PTV. Additionally, such a project will create many
jobs in the green technology industry. Avoiding 100,000 tons of
greenhouse gas emissions per year (reported by The Age Victoria), the transition to solar sets a standard for other cities to meet.
“This project is virtually ready to go. We can’t see any barriers
that would stop it from here,” Dave Holland, a founder of Australian
Solar, said.
“Australia Solar had tried to get almost all elements of the tram
project ready to go before it sought final financial backing,” he noted.
Projects like this go for the real thing. Why hesitate with a pilot project? CleanTechnica discusses this some recent electric transit news. “[Amsterdam’s] transport alderman Abdeluheb Choho in an interview with the Volkskrant suggests
the same, ‘This project means we are saying goodbye to symbolic
behavior and pilot projects. We have decided to just do it, not to
experiment with five buses.’ “
Melbourne’s intended solar standard for mass transit comes amidst Amsterdam’s target of electrifying all diesel-powered buses by 2025 as well as projections for the arrival of Elon Musk’s conceived intercity Hyperloop project (but note that he’s not putting this one into practice).
Courtesy: cleantechnica
