The Vatican now has 2,394 solar modules collecting energy from the sun right next to the renowned St. Peter’s Cathedral.
Germany’s SolarWorld AG (SWV.DE), installed the solar power system on
the roof of the Papal audience hall as a gift to the Roman Catholic
Church. Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI received an audience of more than
10,000 under the roof bedecked with solar modules.
"This solar plant is designed to send out a visible signal for
climate-friendly energy supply and the preservation of creation",
explains Frank H. Asbeck, Chairman and CEO of SolarWorld AG.
The solar power plant on the roof of the Paolo VI audience hall
has a peak total output of 221.59 Kilowatt (KW), enough to generate
some 300,000 Kilowatt hours of electricity. This is equivalent to the
annual needs of more than 100 households.
The aesthetically sophisticated plant was blended into the historical
ensemble of Vatican City with a great deal of technical and
architectural effort. The solar modules were manufactured at the
SolarWorld facility in Freiberg/Saxony. The inverters were donated by
SMA Solar Technology and the grid connection was planned by the Italian
company Tecno Spot.
Pope Benedict XVI has promoted the causes of environmental and
resource protection pointing to "the urgent need to discover
alternative energy sources that are safe and accessible to all."
SolarWorld made headlines earlier this week by proposing to buy GM’s german car unit Opel.
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