Renewables

Vienna powers second subway station with brake energy converter

Vienna powers subway station brake energy converter

Photo: Pixabay

Published

June 18, 2020

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

June 18, 2020

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

When underground trains arrive at Altes Landgut in a southern district in Vienna, braking energy is recovered for illumination and the electric devices at the station.

Friction creates heat and braking releases energy. After a successful pilot in 2018, the public transport operator in the Austrian capital introduced an inverter at another underground station. The excess energy generated by subway trains’ arrival at Altes Landgut in the south of Vienna is fed into the grid for lighting, escalators and elevators.

Almost the entire electric transportation fleet run by Wiener Linien, including trams, is already equipped to reuse braking energy. It flows back into the direct current (DC) grid and in the subway it helps run a vehicle leaving the station or passing through. The newer models had the system installed originally and others are being converted.

Electric trams and trains already reuse braking energy in the direct current network

When there is no other train at the underground station, the braking energy would turn to heat and dissipate. So the firm decided to install inverters and use the power for the 20 kV alternating current – AC system.

The innovation was launched at the Hardeggasse U2 station. Altes Landgut, inaugurated in 2017, is on line U1.

Vienna, which is regularly ranked at the top of international lists for mobility, renewable energy and environmental protection, rolled out the project within its efforts to define a climate model for cities.

Wiener Linien is participating in the efforts to make Vienna a model city in climate terms

The more energy is recovered and used, the less needs to be generated. The two stations are essentially power plants, saving 3 GWh per year, equivalent to the consumption of 720 households, and 400 tons of carbon dioxide.

The next facility is planned for U4 station Ober St. Veit and it should be installed next year, according to the schedule. The endeavor is funded by federal development bank aws and the national foundation for research, technology and development – Österreich-Fonds.

Of note, solar panels installed last year at Ottakring cover up to 50% of electricity needs of the U3 terminal. Since January, Wiener Lienen has been buying only domestic CO2-free renewable power.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

Montenegro NECP public consultation sole coal plant shutdown 2041

Montenegro publishes NECP for public consultation – sole coal plant planned for shutdown in 2041

30 June 2025 - The retirement of the Pljevlja coal plant is planned for 2041, but it depends on a just transition and supply security, the draft NECP reads

LONGi ignites Romania energy transition 54 1 MW BC

LONGi ignites Romania’s energy transition with 54.1 MW BC technology triumph

30 June 2025 - A PV plant in Romania's northwest is on schedule for a grid connection in the fourth quarter. It features LONGi Solar's BC modules.

Fortis Energy Albania 62 MW solar power

Fortis Energy gets green light in Albania for 62 MW solar power project

27 June 2025 - Fortis Energy received approval from the Albanian government for the construction of a 62 MW solar power plant in the country's southeast

Hidroelectrica construction pilot floating photovoltaic plant

Hidroelectrica to begin construction of its pilot floating photovoltaic plant

27 June 2025 - Romanian state-owned hydropower plant operator Hidroelectrica picked the contractor for a 10 MW floating solar power plant, its first