Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Spanish City Sets Up Solar Cemetery

Posted by samzenpus on from the everyone-likes-a-tan dept.

A Spanish city has found an unusual place to generate renewable energy — solar panels in the cemetery. Santa Coloma de Gramanet has installed 462 solar panels over its multi-story mausoleums. The plan was met with some derision at first, but thanks to a successful marketing campaign, the solar cemetery has public support. It has been such a success that there are already plans to install more panels in an effort to triple the amount of power generated. The installation cost 720,000 euros (£608,000) but will keep about 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year, said Esteve Serret, a director of Conste-Live Energy, the company that runs the cemetery and also works in renewable energy. I'm sure a solar powered zombie movie is already in the works.

3 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. Doubly green by Roland+Piquepaille · · Score: 4, Funny

    will keep about 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every year

    And the residents also cut their CO2 footprint by about 2 tons per year, simply by not breathing.

    1. Re:Doubly green by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This sort of really gets to me, it seems like people can't even do math any more. I have a neighbor who was convinced into buying solar panels because he wouldn't have to pay the utility company again. It turns out that not paying the utility company for electricity again is going to cost him roughly 30% more then if he paid them.

      You assume that "not paying the utility company" has zero value to your neighbor. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe he gains personal gratification by being "off the grid" that more than makes up for the 30% premium. After all people buy expensive cars that get them where they are going just as well as a cheap car would - they do it because they get other less tangible benefits from their cars, benefits that they feel are worth paying a premium for. There are probably an infinite number of such examples, it is part of the reason we have markets with a variety of choices rather than single suppliers.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  2. Some might prefer it. by Filbertish · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I know for a fact that my grandfather who passed away recently would have paid extra to be buried in a cemetery that generates clean energy.