The public transport operator for the Swiss canton of Geneva – TPG (Transports Publics Genevois) – order 720 new ticket vending machines of type almex.midi. 200 of these will run on Swiss solar power.
The challenge
160 million passengers and a workforce of 1,500 – TPG is one of the biggest regional public transport companies in Switzerland. As age is catching up with their old ticket vending machines, TPG launched a major public tender for 720 devices. The company is placing a high priority on finding a supplier with a good track record, so that its network can count on a reliable supply and backup in the future. What is special about TPG: the company provides its customers with transport not only in the Geneva metropolitan region, but throughout the entire canton with its many villages situated between the mountains and Lake Geneva – and not all the stops along those routes have access to the mains power supply needed for conventional ticket vending machines.
The idea
Of the 720 units of type almex.midi, 200 will be operating without a connection to the mains power grid. The machines will draw electrical power from a solar panel. Each component has been optimized for minimal power consumption: instead of the entire ticket vending machine being heated, only individual components are warmed up as required, and when the unit is not in use, the almex.midi switches itself off automatically. Illumination is provided by LEDs, and this also saves energy. Moreover, these lights are brighter and last considerably longer, thus justifying the higher cost of the initial investment. In developing the solar power supply, Almex is drawing on the experiences gained by the British subsidiary Metric, where 60 per cent of all parking terminals sold are already fitted with photovoltaic modules. Since the early 1990s, some 15,000 parking terminals have been manufactured with a regenerative power supply.
The practical application
All 720 new ticket vending machines are to be installed in the coming year. The autonomous, solar-powered version of the almex.midi offer TPG more than just flexibility in the choice of location: “Energy-autonomous operation provides us with flexibility and security for the future,” says Rémy Burri, Head of Sales for TPG. “In the medium to long term, the investment is bound to pay off,” he adds confidently.
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