Inauguration of the installation of photovoltaic panels in the Cortile delle Corazze in the entrance of the Vatican Museums

Green energy at the Vatican

The official inauguration of the new photovoltaic system in the Cortile delle Corazze at the entrance of the Vatican Museums, marks a step forward on the journey towards obtaining energy from renewable resources, in an effort to reduce carbon emissions and to respect our Common Home.

The new photovoltaic system expresses the “green” vocation of Vatican City State. The inauguration ceremony and blessing took place on Friday morning, 20 December, in the conference hall of the Vatican Museums. Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Ms. Barbara Marinali, President of Gruppo ACEA, Mr. Salvatore Farina, Director of the Governorate’s Directorate for Infrastructures and Services, and Mr. Stefano Liotta of Gruppo ACEA, delivered addresses during the inauguration ceremony, which was moderated by Ms. Barbara Jatta, Director of the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage.

Also present were Sr. Raffaella Petrini and Mr. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, respectively, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of the Governorate, Mr. Silvio Screpanti, Deputy Director of the Directorate for Infrastructures and Services, and Mr. Fabrizio Palermo, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Gruppo ACEA.

Speaking at the inauguration, Ms. Marinali, President of Gruppo ACEA, said, “The beauty of art and technological innovation, are perfectly joined in the project we are inaugurating today at the Vatican Museums. It is an opportunity for ACEA to provide its contribution, thanks to the great professionalism of the Group, to one of the most important museums in the world, while at the same time, supporting the artistic and cultural sector. Today we can say that the Vatican is becoming ‘greener’. We are thus continuing in our commitment to improve infrastructures and provide solutions that move in the direction of a “smart” city, a future in which new technologies, digitization and artificial intelligence, pose the greatest challenges”.

Despite logistics difficulties, the new photovoltaic system was installed in the record time of just six months, and is ready to produce electric energy from a renewable resource, on the eve of the Jubilee.

With this project, the Governorate of Vatican City State is implementing the guidelines Pope Francis outlined in the Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’, and fulfilling the international obligations it assumed with the signing of the Paris Agreement.

As part of this project, a photovoltaic system is currently being installed in the Vignaccia warehouse in the Vatican Gardens, and is expected to be completed within the first few months of next year.

The two photovoltaic systems are expected to yield 350 KW of photovoltaic peak power, generating a total energy production of approximately 500 MWh of electric energy per year.

The installation project in the Vatican Museums’ Cortile delle Corazze permitted extraordinary maintenance works, a reduction in thermal radiation and its consequent reduction in the energy used to cool areas in the summer, the improvement of the thermic comfort of visitors and employees, the production of electric energy from a renewable resource with a nominal power output of 135 kWp and a yearly output of about 164 MWh/year, and lastly, a new system of lighting that aesthetically enhances the site.

The installation’s technical details express the advanced technology that was implemented and the professionalism involved. The photovoltaic panels were produced by the Italian company, Società Energy Glass, which is experienced in the sector. The internal and external scaffolding were installed in such a way as to avoid any inconvenience to the daily visitors entering the Museums. In order to reduce any disruption, the scaffolding was setup at nighttime.

On the same day, 20 “fast” charging points on 10 charging stations and two “ultra-fast points” on one charging station were inaugurated beside the entrance to the Paul VI Hall. The charging stations, a project of the Governorate’s Directorate for Infrastructures and Systems in cooperation with Gruppo ACEA spa., are the first ones that will be available to all holders of an employee or service card, and the first time that charging services will be provided alongside the sale of traditional fuel. The charging stations can potentially be doubled to 40 “fast” charging points and 4 “ultra-fast” points.

The project is part of a wider plan to develop a network of charging points inside Vatican City State, and is one of a series of systems which have already been installed in various sites, for recharging the fleet of electric vehicles in use by the Governorate and other institutional members of the State.

The following is the Cardinal President’s speach for the occasion.

I welcome Ms. Barbara Marinali and Mr. Fabrizio Palermo, respectively, President and Chief Executive Officer, of Gruppo ACEA,

I cordially greet Sr. Raffaella Petrini and Mr. Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, respectively, Secretary General and Deputy Secretary General of the Governorate, Ms. Barbara Jatta, Director of the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage, Mr. Salvatore Farina and Mr. Silvio Screpanti, Director and Deputy Director of the Directorate for Infrastructures and Services,

and all those gathered here,

It is a great pleasure to be here today, as President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, to participate in the inauguration of the photovoltaic system at the Vatican Museums and of the charging stations for electric mobility in the Vatican, which are part of the objectives aimed at achieving energy transition, in harmony with the guidelines outlined by Pope Francis in his Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’ and in his Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum.

Inspired by the principles contained in the two documents of Pope Francis’ Magisterium, the photovoltaic system and the charging stations, are aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2030.

I thank Gruppo ACEA, which has developed and built this system, as well as the employees of the Directorate for Infrastructures and Services, who worked with them in full synergy.

For several years, the Governorate has been committed to energy transition and has become a pioneer in the field, on the international arena.

I recall the photovoltaic panels that were installed across 5,000 square meters on the roof of the Paul VI Hall, in 2008, at the request of Benedict XVI, as well as the refrigeration systems that run on ecological gas, the highly efficient (98%) thermal plant, the areas illuminated by led lights, waste disposal and the responsible use of natural resources.

I would also like to highlight the fact that the Governorate has promoted “Ecological Conversion 2030”, a development project for sustainable mobility aimed at reducing the impact of carbon emissions from its fleet of vehicles. The installation of charging stations is part of this project. The Governorate is gradually replacing the vehicles owned by the State with electric vehicles, so that its fleet will achieve zero emissions by 2030.

This is why, thanks to the contribution of Gruppo ACEA, we are implementing a network of charging stations throughout the State’s territory and its extraterritorial zones, making them accessible to employees for the first time.

After all, the current energy context demands the development of new technologies and sources of energy production, to strengthen Vatican City’s energy independence. The decarbonization of these new sources of production is also a challenge, and renewable energy is an efficient response to this problem.

I believe that the energy crisis that followed the post-Covid economic recovery and which was worsened by the war in Ukraine, in the Middle East and in other parts of the world, will force everyone to adapt more rapidly to the ecological transition.

The challenges that await us are significant and a just equilibrium will have to be found between the creation of new sources of energy production and the implementation of energy efficient actions, that will allow us to progressively reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources.

For this to occur, the actions and cooperation of everyone are required, as Pope Francis underscores in his Apostolic Exhortation, Laudate Deum: “Efforts by households to reduce pollution and waste, and to consume with prudence, are creating a new culture. The mere fact that personal, family and community habits are changing is contributing to greater concern about the unfulfilled responsibilities of the political sectors and indignation at the lack of interest shown by the powerful” (n. 71).

I would like to congratulate Gruppo ACEA, the authorities and managers and those who have designed and contributed to the achievement of this photovoltaic system, as well as all the people who have supported this initiative.

I thank everyone for their commitment and professionalism and I offer my greetings to everyone for a Happy Christmas and a happy start to the Holy Year 2025.