Rabat – Moroccan mosques have begun looking to the heavens for their energy needs, according to a new report by CNN on the kingdom’s new initiative to retrofit local religious centers with energy-efficient lighting, solar-powered water heaters and photovoltaic panels.
By the beginning of 2019, the first phase of the Green Mosque plan will be complete, leading the pack of the 15,000 mosques slated to receive the power makeover.
“Mosques are not a big consumer of electricity: there is some lighting, some water heating,” Said Mouline, the head of the National Agency for the Development of Renewable Energy, told the American news channel. “Energy efficiency is not only a matter of technology, it’s also a matter of behavior.”
As local religious figures begin adopting green technologies in places of worship, Mouline says citizens will follow the imams’ lead.
“The main problem for renewables is the initial investment, and only rich people can afford them,” the official said.
“To help less affluent people finance this switch, we are offering 10 million energy efficient light bulbs to households and let them pay in installments through the electricity bill, which at the same time will be reduced because of the more efficient bulbs.”
The Ministry for Islamic Affairs will be funding 70 percent of the investment costs for the initiative via a partnership with the German government, according to a recent report by The Guardian.
Over the past year, Morocco has become a key player in the renewable energy field, with the inauguration of the massive Noor solar complex and the ongoing COP22 climate talks in Marrakesh.
