Vatican's Paul VI Audience Building To Go Solar

audience%20hall.jpg

"A rooftop garden of solar panels is set to be installed on the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall. The solar energy project will begin next year and, when completed, will create enough electricity to heat, cool and light the entire building year-round, the Catholic News Service reported. "Solar energy will provide all the energy (the building) needs," said Pier Carlo Cuscianna, head of the Vatican's department of technical services. And that is only the beginning. Cuscianna said that he had in mind other sites throughout Vatican City where solar panels could be installed, but that it was too early in the game to name names." Our favorite quote from the CNS story:- "With Italian news headlines warning of yet another sweltering summer and potential power brownouts and blackouts, greater energy autonomy for the Vatican through the sun sounds like a cool idea." Word on the streets of Rome is that the ribbon cutting ceremony will be broadcast in engineer-speak, so that traditional solar geeks will be able to fully understand (joke). Back to serious stuff. The inside of Paul VI Audience Hall already enjoys a ceiling full of LED lighting clusters using gesis® technology provided by Wieland Electric (pictured). Via:: UPI Image credit:: Wieland Electric