Could Europe's largest urban solar farm be built on graveyards?

Officials in the Spanish city hope to build Europe’s largest urban solar farm with close to 7,000 panels being built on graveyards, under a project named Requiem in Power (RIP).

Should Valencia install solar panels in its cemeteries?

Valencia is not the first place to install solar panels in its cemeteries, with a commune in France launching a project in 2021 to transform its graveyard into a renewable energy hub. Saint-Joachim in the west of the country plans to install 5,000 panels by next year at a cost of around €3.3 million (£2.8m).

Why is Valencia turning its cemeteries into solar farms?

A Valencia official said the cemetery was ‘the graves are leased for 30 or 50-year periods so we don’t need to consult anyone’ Valencia has begun turning its cemeteries into solar farms, sparking anger from relatives of the dead who say they were not consulted over the plan to meet net zero targets.

Did relatives consulted on solar panels in Campanar Cemetery?

Unveiling hundreds of solar panels gleaming atop tombs in the 200-year-old Campanar cemetery earlier this month, local official Carlos Mundina admitted that relatives of the deceased had not been consulted on the plan.

How many photovoltaic panels are being placed in public cemeteries in Valencia?

Around 7,000 photovoltaic panels have been placed on crypts and other structures in public cemeteries in Valencia, according to a European Union fact sheet that details the project. “These public spaces offer plenty of space for the generation of clean energy,” the fact sheet states.

How many cemeteries are generating renewable power?

Three small cemeteries have so far started generating renewable power with larger sites next in the €3.2million (£2.6 million) project, which is part of the city’s plans to become carbon neutral by as early as 2030.