Even the Pope digs solar power
Some of the Holy See buildings will start using solar energy, reflecting Pope Benedict XVI’s worry about squandering the Earth’s resources, a engineer says.
The roof of the Paul VI auditorium will be redone next year, with its cement panels replaced with photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity, engineer Pier Carlo Cuscianna said Tuesday.
The 6,300-seat auditorium is used for the pontiff’s general audiences on Wednesdays in winter and in bad weather during the rest of the year. Concerts in honor of pontiffs are also occasionally staged in the hall, with its sweeping stage.
The cells will produce enough electricity to illuminate, heat or cool the hall, Cuscianna said.
