A PHOTOVOLTAIC power generation system, or solar power system, has been installed on the rooftop of the elevated platform at Shangfen Station on Metro Line 6, marking a new attempt at green transport, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

Shangfen Station is the city’s first Metro station to have applied the system, which can produce 2.67 megawatts (MW) of power and can generate a total of 2.72 million kilowatt hours (kWh) every year, offering almost 30 percent of the electricity needed for the train and lighting.

The solar-powered Line 6 is not only a response to the national energy-saving strategy but will also reduce the operating cost of urban rail transit, according to a Chinese media outlet.

Another highlight of the elevated station on Line 6 is that they have prioritized passengers in their design. The platform adopts a lighting design that can receive light energy from three directions and utilize natural lighting to save energy.

The hollow design on both ends of the platform provides full ventilation. A multi-functional ventilator is also installed in the middle of the platform.

The total length of Line 6 is about 49.4 kilometers, running through the less-crowded areas of the city. Its first phase will link Songgang in Bao’an District with Shenzhen North Railway Station in Longhua District. The second-phase project will build an extension from Shenzhen North Railway Station to Science Museum Station on Shangbu Road in Luohu District.

Line 6 will serve to connect with lines 4 and 1 of the Dongguan Rail Transit system. The construction of Line 6 is expected to be completed in 2020. After Line 6 becomes operational, the traffic conditions in Longhua will be effectively improved. (Jiang Wenyi)