VATICAN CITY – On Wednesday the Vatican held an inauguration ceremony for the new installation of photoelectric panels on the roof of the Paul VI Hall.

Participating in the event were Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Pier Carlo Cuscianna, director of technical services of the Governorate of Vatican City State; Livio De Santoli of Rome's "La Sapienza" University; Frank Asbeck, president of Solar World AG, and Carlo Rubbia, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics.

The photovoltaic array on the Paul VI Hall is one of the "concrete and tangible initiatives" with which Vatican City State is promoting the protection of the environment, reads a communique released by the Holy See Press Office.

The 2,400 modules of the installation replace the concrete roof panels, reproducing the dimensions of the original tiles in the project of the building's architect, Pier Luigi Nervi.

They have a dual function: "passively" protecting the building from the elements and "actively" converting solar energy into electricity.

This initiative is part of the "green culture characterized by ethical values," promoted by Benedict XVI.

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