Solar rail pioneer Riding Sunbeams targets next phase of growth following Cisco’s Fast Future Innovation Award

 Riding Sunbeams, a world-leading innovator focussed on decarbonising rail traction networks through the development and connection of community-owned solar power, has been awarded $75,000 of Cisco support following its first Fast Future Innovation Awards. This will be delivered in the form of resources, expertise, and scale to help Riding Sunbeams to develop, prototype and implement its ideas.

Confirmed at an event at Cisco’s London offices, the awards ceremony was attended by George Freeman, Minister for State at the department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Riding Sunbeams will be using the funding to continue its work to power the railways with unsubsidised, direct-wire renewable generation, which includes developing bespoke technology that connects solar energy to AC overhead electrified routes.

With research finding that solar traction power could provide at least one tenth of the energy needed to power trains on the UK’s electrified routes every year, the team will also be looking at how it can continue unlocking the route to market for community owned solar farms which have planning permission but not the long-term price certainty they need to secure funding for construction.

After extensive feasibility work and research, Riding Sunbeams completed its first successful pilot project in 2019. Honing the technology with Network Rail, the company connected over 100 solar PV panels to the railway at its demonstrator site, outside Aldershot station in the UK, which are still in operation today. The trial was instrumental in proving that solar PV can feed power directly into DC third rail electric traction networks. Network Rail launched a new tender in January 2023 to explore further opportunities for the direct supply of renewable power to its infrastructure across the UK.

Leo Murray, Innovation Director at Riding Sunbeams, said: “We’re thrilled to be recognised by Cisco for our innovation in decarbonising the rail network, which holds huge potential for the UK and our ability to achieve net zero. As a start-up, we’re currently raising capital to support us in the next stage of growth. This funding will be instrumental in ensuring we can continue innovating, working towards our goal of powering the railways using solar power, while also sharing the benefits with track-side communities.”

The Cisco Fast Future Innovation Awards, created by Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) and Innovation Labs teams, were established to help power an inclusive future for all, dedicating Cisco’s resources, expertise and scale as one of the world’s largest technology companies to help solve the innovation challenges facing UK entrepreneurs.