Information published on 31 July 2018 in the UIC electronic newsletter "UIC eNews" Nr eNews.

Italy: Zero impact railway stations thanks to the GreenHub project

Zero impact railway stations with the GreenHub project. The objective is to combine environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, innovative technology and new services for travellers and visitors.

GreenHub is a pilot project aimed at making stations of the future a unique green space in which innovative technologies studied by Italian and international start-ups will coexist both inside and outside the building.

In September 2018, Rapallo will be the first GreenHub railway station and will become a case study for technicians and industry experts. The station will in fact host the multi-source Dynamo installation, developed by start-up Verde 21 in collaboration with three other new companies, which will offer new services to passengers using energy produced from renewable sources.

Travelers will have benches with integrated sockets for charging tablets and smartphones as well as an access point with Wi-Fi connectivity. Geolocalized information will be available through specific displays. Furthermore, in the near future, recharging stations for electric bicycles and electric scooters will be installed in areas outside the station.

Dynamo integrates technological products from various Italian start-ups. Verde 21 will accumulate and supply the renewable energy collected by traditional photovoltaic panels and by special transparent photovoltaic panels produced by start-up Glass To Power. For the accumulation of additional electricity, adopting the same technology in different permutations, the area will be paved with walkable photovoltaic panels made by start-up Platio. With start-up U-Earth’s technology, air will be monitored and purified in real time. The integrated approach will thus allow the development of a new technological concept that generates synergies between large and small companies.

As evidence of the FS Italiane Group’s commitment to social and environmental responsibility, Dynamo will be the fulcrum of a true green area, given that the space in which it is rising will be characterized by the use of recycled and recyclable materials. Travelers in transit will appreciate the versatility of the pyramid-shaped establishment, in perfect harmony between sustainability, technology and aesthetics. Among the materials used, wood, aluminium and steel stand out.

The innovative GreenHub technology project, on which the FS Italiane Group is working, through its companies Rete Ferroviaria Italiana and Italferr, and in collaboration with Sirti, as part of Elis Consortium’s Open Italy 2018, is a programme that aims to combine the need for innovation from large companies with the need for growth of start-ups.

(Source: FS)

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