Vatican to Build Europe’s Largest Solar Power Plant

[onehandle]

April 20, 2009 - The Vatican is going solar in a big way. The smallest country in the world recently announced that it intends to spend 660 million dollars to create what will effectively be Europe’s largest solar power plant. This massive 100 megawatt photovoltaic installation will provide enough energy to make the Vatican the first solar powered nation state in the world!

The Vatican is not exactly a large state, so its proposed solar plant will generate enough energy to power all of its 40,000 households. The installation will be located on a 740 acre site near Santa Maria di Galeria - the same place where the Vatican Radio’s transmission tower is located. The energy that it produces will be way above the needs of the entire Vatican, providing enough power to meet the needs of Vatican radio nine times over.

These aren’t the only moves that the Vatican is taking to reduce its greenhouse emissions. It is contemplating using an electric popemobile, the Vatican cafeteria will soon be decked with a solar heating system to provide heating and cooling, and even the Pope’s summer residence is being fitted out to get power from the methane generated by the horse stables. When looking for inspiration, the Pope clearly defers towards the heavens, but when looking for electricity, the sun is his choice.

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/04/20/vatican-to-build-europes-largest-solar-power-plant/

[Bill McBlueState]

1. nice move

When folks at the Vatican get their minds out of everyone else's pants, they're capable of great things.

[regnaD kciN]

2. I'm waiting to see...

...how many people here will suddenly turn violently against solar power now. :eyes:

[YOY]

6. Some here would hate the Church if it solved world poverty.

Trying to convince them that the ancient and slow to change organization that is the Catholic Church is neither good nor evil but simply is, is impossible.

[sledgehammer]

15. No, would not hate the Church for that.

There's a lot of good that church/religion in general has done, especially in the area of charity. And I'm very impressed with this solar initiative, especially given the Church's rather unfortunate history with understanding the role of the sun.

"Slow to change" is an excuse that sets everyone back in time. Why make a fuss then about Saudi's antiquated laws related to child brides, women, beheading, blasphemy, and their condoning of social ills like domestic abuse? Maybe it will just take them time.

400 years to apologize to Galileo is way too slow to change! As is even one more minute when it comes to inaction related to top brass involvement on child abuse.

[YOY]

16. and they lose members all the while including me until they learn to speed up.

I am not going back until they get their heads out of their asses regarding abortion and female priests/allowing priests to marry...thus solving the pedophile problem by not dissuading people who actually have a calling but don't feel as though celibacy is anything remotely necessary.

Being slow is their excuse and their obstacle to overcome if they want to survive into the 22nd century.

[anonymous171]

3. SOLAR PANELS ARE NOW DISGUSTING SYMBOLS OF RELIGIOUS THEOCRACY! nt

[imdjh]

4. Households? What a curious term to apply to Vatican residences. nt

[onehandle]

7. Vatican City is a country.

There are a couple of dozen "city-states" in the world.

[NightWatcher]

5. the Pope's more Progressive than we are????

Obama needs to install PV cells immediately on the roof of the WH and start retrofiting government buildings with PV systems toot sweet.

[cutlassmama]

8. Why stop at the White House?

We should all be energy independent. Then we wouldn't have to deal with the likes of the Middle East.

[applegrove]

9. Nice move. Too bad about all their other policy. Did I mention hundreds of thousands will

die in Africa because of the vatican's stance on condoms?

[Hannah Bell]

11. did i mention millions have died in congo because of the us promotion

of proxy war & corporate land & resource grabs?

with the aid of non-catholic missionaries & ngos?

idiotic to pretend the vatican is the only bad actor in africa; there are so many.

[applegrove]

21. I never said the Vatican was the only bad actor in Africa. But they are acting badly now.

As opposed to 40 years ago which is what you are talking about.

[Hannah Bell]

22. 40 years ago? hardly. right now, & on a scale which dwarfs anything condoms,

or the lack of them, could possibly do.

nah, you were pointing the finger at the pope, you'd better recheck which foreign churches rule in africa, & which don't fund condoms. start with obama's fave preacher, 'purpose-driven-life' rick warren. falwell & the (monopoly debeers) diamond trade, the protestant/ngo shock troops of resource extraction...

[JVS]

10. Good for Pope Benny!

[Dappleganger]

12. They could harness the goddamn Sun and Wind as energy slaves...

that still will never atone for the crap they have done and continue to do in the name of religion.

[foxfeet]

13. How . . . Pagan of them.

[Ezlivin]

14. Son Worshippers Become Sun Worshippers

Moving from "kill a pagan" to kilowatt.

[lame54]

17. perfect

[WI_DEM]

18. Well finally the Pope has done something that pleases me.

[muriel_volestrangler]

19. A sloppy article - the Vatican does not have "40,000 households"

Better to go to the Bloomberg article which they mangled:

On pasture land a day’s walk north of Rome, the inventor of radio Guglielmo Marconi set up a broadcasting service in 1931 for the Vatican.

The world’s smallest state now intends to build the biggest solar plant in Europe for 500 million euros ($660 million) on those same 740 acres near the medieval village of Santa Maria di Galeria, project engineer Mauro Villarini said in an interview.
...
The 100 megawatts unleashed by the station will supply about 40,000 households. That will far outstrip demand by Pope Benedict XVI and the 900 inhabitants of the 0.2 square-mile country nestled across Rome’s Tiber River. The plant will cover nine times the needs of Vatican Radio, whose transmission tower is strong enough to reach 35 countries including Asia.
...
Including installation costs and products from other suppliers as a “turn-key project,” a 100-megawatt plant would cost 350 million euros to 400 million euros to build if it only used Solarworld modules, Asbeck said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601130&sid=aN2RJ9ob3OoY&refer=environment

[onehandle]

20. They missed that detail. That was a stupid slip-up.

A few thousand work in Vatican City. If they don't need the excess power, maybe they'll lease it to Rome.

[MrSlayer]

23. Broken clocks and all that.

Good for them for getting something right.

[onehandle]

24. nt

nt