(Duration: 18 minutes 08 seconds)

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Robert Llewellyn:

I just want to know how you came up with the notion of making a solar power train. I mean, what sparked the whole thing off?

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah, well, this, this particular project is on a three kilometre flat section of track, right?

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

So that's a great starting point, it's a controlled environment. And then also the platforms which we're standing under now also have a lot of spare roof area. So after we got the project going, and sort of about two years ago, we thought the technology was there to do it, and we assembled a team of experts and engineers in different disciplines and we've managed to be able to power this train ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

Using solar power purely.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right. So what happens then is, I mean, obviously I can see there's solar panels on the roof of the train, but that's not the only source then? And then there's batteries in the train, is that right? That's right?

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah, that's correct. So this is a, it's a heritage train ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

Was built in 1949, after the Second World War. It's actually known as one of the lighter trains. It's got an aluminium body.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

And so that helped as well. And traditionally, well, you've got two carriages here. One carriage has two, would have had two diesel engines in it ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Wow.

Jeremy Holmes:

And the other one's a trailer car, but you can drive it from both ends.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

And so what we managed to do was we took one of the diesel engines out and we've replaced that with quite a large lithium-ion battery bank ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

And a whole new transmission and all of the componentry to go with that driven from an electric charge.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

And so we're capturing the sun off the roof of the train, as well as on the platform, and the combined energy there then charges the batteries, and we use that ...

Robert Llewellyn:

To drive the train.

Jeremy Holmes:

To drive the train.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right. At this end, you can get to a beach.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

And at that end is sort of the town, effectively.

Jeremy Holmes:

Right in the middle of town, essentially.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

But over here as well, we have a lot of new development going on.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

The resort, we've got what we call the Arts and Industry Estate which is ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

the major employment hub in Byron.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

So we've got a lot of people moving back and forth and I think this, as this area develops and evolves, it's going to be really convenient to getting out of town.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right. Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

Plus the traffic's pretty bad.

Robert Llewellyn:

Traffic's appalling.

Jeremy Holmes:

So this is another option.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah. You don't have to park. You can go on the train.

Jeremy Holmes:

Exactly.

Robert Llewellyn:

You don't have to park. Yeah, no, it's brilliant.

Jeremy Holmes:

Exactly.

Robert Llewellyn:

I think this is the world's only ...

Jeremy Holmes:

Well, yeah, that's what ...

Robert Llewellyn:

A hundred percent solar power train, which is fantastic.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah. And actually, last year we exported back into the grid nearly 60,000 kilowatt hours, which is enough to power 12 residential three bedroom houses ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah. Yeah. [crosstalk 00:02:32].

Jeremy Holmes:

On top of the energy that we used.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

So it's definitely net carbon positive.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah. Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

And we haven't missed a service in the first 12 months. So we're running 14 trips, 14 to 18 trips a day.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right. And I know just one of the things, I don't know if you know, the facts, all the figures of that, but a lot of people would be intrigued by the size of the battery in terms of kilowatt hour storage, do you know what it-

Jeremy Holmes:

77 kilowatt hours.

Robert Llewellyn:

77 kilowatt hours.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah. Yeah. And it's a 70 ton train. Let's remember that.

Robert Llewellyn:

Wow.

Jeremy Holmes:

So we're not moving a car.

Robert Llewellyn:

No.

Jeremy Holmes:

But the massive torque is perfect for moving a big ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

Big weight like that. And the fact that we've got a flat track and it's straight ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

And it's back and forth really helps ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

Because pushing this thing up a hill is a whole different story.

Robert Llewellyn:

Would be quite difficult.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

But, I mean, once you get a train moving effectively the friction, like the tire ... You don't have tire friction.

Jeremy Holmes:

The momentum.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

The momentum is very ...

Jeremy Holmes:

It's a, yeah, it's steel on steel.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

So it will accelerate out of the platform and she'll pretty much coast half the way.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right.

Jeremy Holmes:

Then we give it a little bit more juice ...

Robert Llewellyn:

Just to get to the end.

Jeremy Holmes:

And then we're there.

Robert Llewellyn:

Right. Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

And then we've got the regen braking as well.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

So recovering some of that.

Robert Llewellyn:

Oh, really? You do get ...

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

It's got regen. Wow. Fantastic.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

Oh, fantastic.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah. So she's pretty efficient. I think a return trip, which is six kilometres, we use maybe five kilowatt hours.

Robert Llewellyn:

Five. That's ...

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

That's about the same as a really efficient, small electric car, that's amazing.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah, so [crosstalk 00:03:49].

Robert Llewellyn:

And it's a 70 ton.

Jeremy Holmes:

And we can carry a hundred passengers.

Robert Llewellyn:

Yeah.

Jeremy Holmes:

Yeah.

Robert Llewellyn:

Wow. Wow. Amazing.

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