Vatican turns to solar power: Pope Francis initiates green project
Pope Francis again demonstrates that he has a somewhat more modern approach to the surrounding world than his predecessors. In a Wednesday letter, he announced that the Vatican will build an agrivoltaic installation near Rome. Ultimately, it aims to meet the entire Vatican's electricity needs.
27 June 2024 13:02
The letter in which the Pope announced the construction is titled "Fratello Sole"—in English, "Brother Sun." It is set to start 18 kilometres north of Rome, in Santa Maria di Galeria, where a Vatican Radio transmitter station is currently located.
The electricity generated by the installation there should suffice to meet the needs of this 0.4-hectare state.
Francis argued that he already referenced the construction of a solar power plant in his 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si" ("Praise Be to You"), which was dedicated to ecological themes. In it, he called for a change in lifestyle and a reduction in production and consumption to counteract global warming as much as possible.
Agrivoltaics will provide the Vatican with electricity. Special commissioners needed
The Pope is set to appoint extraordinary commissioners whose task will be to inform Italian authorities about what will happen in Santa Maria di Galeria.
Agrivoltaics is obtaining solar energy in combination with agriculture. This way, the land is used for two purposes—a photovoltaic farm and crops under the panels.
