Solar Energy in Vatican City: Utilities & Bill Insights
One of the most notable solar projects in Vatican City is the solar roof of the Paul VI Audience Hall. The photovoltaic panels installed here generate approximately 300,000 kilowatt-hours of
Yes. Vatican City has joined Albania, Bhutan, Nepal, Paraguay, Iceland, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to become one of just eight countries in the world to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. Several church organizations around the world are making the move to solar.
The Vatican's solar shift is a culmination of a political and spiritual mission years in the making. In 2024, the late Pope Francis issued an apostolic letter ordering the construction of an agrivoltaic solar plant to supply the Vatican with energy from Santa Maria di Galeria. On the same site, the new solar infrastructure now stands.
By May 29th, 2025, that vision was fulfilled, and the Vatican City became one of the only fully solar-powered states in the world, setting a clear precedent on how belief and sustainability can align.
Citing Pope Francis's «Laudato Si'», Gallagher reminded listeners that access to clean, renewable energy remains elusive for many across the globe, and that while progress has been made, systemic change is still slow. The agrivoltaic project is one of those “good practices” Pope Francis called for in his encyclical a decade ago.
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