Barcelona Subways Are Revolutionizing Energy Efficiency

The city’s MetroCHARGE project uses subways' regenerative braking to power trains, stations, and neighborhood EV chargers.

Barcelona Subway — Photo by Renato Rocca — Image Source: Pexels

We all know how destructive fossil fuels are and what a mistake it was to become reliant on them as our primary energy source. Thankfully, we can own and learn from our mistakes and, in the process, invigorate our ingenuity.

Such creativity is already spreading worldwide as brilliant minds of all ages develop innovative ways to harness and use alternative energy sources. A great example is the MetroCHARGE project in Barcelona, Spain, which uses regenerative braking to power trains, stations, and local EV chargers.

Regenerative Braking

Any time a train slows to a stop, all that friction generates kinetic energy, which can be converted into electricity. This electricity can then be fed through inverters that distribute it elsewhere.

This process, known as regenerative braking, uses energy that would otherwise be lost as heat every time the train’s driver applies the brakes. Using the captured kinetic energy can significantly lower a transit system’s energy consumption.