Pope Benedict XVI earned the nickname of the Solar Pope last year when a donated a USD $1.5 million dollar 300 kilowatt installation consisting of 2,700 solar panels was installed in the Vatican, the world’s smallest state.
It seems the Vatican, which declared pollution one of seven “social” sins last year, just can’t get enough of solar power and is now considering building the largest solar farm in Europe at an estimated cost of 500 million euros (AUD $922.7 million). The 100 megawatt solar farm would generate enough clean power to to supply around 40,000 households and would be located near the medieval village of Santa Maria di Galeria.
Given that the inhabitants of the Vatican only number 900 and the plant will cover nine times the needs of Vatican Radio, which broadcasts to 35 countries; the solar farm will not only make the Vatican the first zero-emissions state in the world where electricity production is concerned, but it will also be a revenue raiser for the state.
Italy’s solar incentives include requiring local utilities to buy solar power at above-market prices through a feed in tariff system. Italy has a binding target set by the European Union for renewable energy consumption of 17 percent by 2020.
And who might score development of this major solar farm project? According to Bloomberg, the word is that German solar-panel maker Solarworld AG, the company that donated the original system last year, is the forerunner. The company also recently floated the idea of a green popemobile and offered the pontiff an electric car to replace the white armored Mercedes- Benz used by the Vatican.
