The Holy see goes green

The Vatican has undergone a major project to use renewable energy. Already 2,400 solar panels have been installed. The panels donated from a German company were fitted on to the roof of the Paul VI audience hall. Each year these panels will produce 30,000 kilowatt hours of energy. Said Mauro Villarini, the Vatican engineer coordinating the project.

This is not the only ‘green’ project to be installed for later this Autumn another solar panel system will be installed over the employee‘s canteen. This system will cover 60-70% of the power used by the building. Both systems will be fully working by the end of the year.
Other projects are currently being studied to see if they would suit the Vatican. These projects include small windmills and treatment plants that would break down biodegradable material to produce methane and biogas.

Mr Villarini the engineer said the solar panels on top of the audience hall would produce enough power to meet the annual energy needs of about 100 families.

However the engineer went on to say that, even with this would still not meet the needs of the Vatican. The Vatican uses roughly two million kilowatt hours of energy a year.

This is part of plan that goes in line with the aims and targets of the EU. The European Union has set a target of meeting 20% of its energy needs with renewable resources by the year 2020.

This also goes in line with what Pope Benedict XVI said at the beginning of 2007. The Pope said that humanity cannot continue its present patterns of exploiting natural resources.


(taken from totalcatholic.com)