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https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/06/ancient-pompeii-site-installs-invisible-solar-panels-that-look-like-roman-terracotta-tiles>
"Ancient Roman ruins at Pompeii have been fitted with invisible solar panels,
in a move that will ensure the archaeological site’s sustainability and cut
costs. The innovative panels, which blend into the background by imitating
traditional materials, were installed on the House of Cerere, on a
thermopolium—a Roman snack bar—and on the House of the Vettii, which recently
reopened following 20 years of restoration work.
“They look exactly like the terracotta tiles used by the Romans, but they
produce the electricity that we need to light the frescoes," says Gabriel
Zuchtriegel, the director of the archaeological park of Pompeii, in a press
release.
Three-and-a-half million tourists annually explore the vast ruins of the
ancient Roman city, which was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD.
But due to Pompeii’s size, energy bills are expensive and conventional methods
of providing power across the site can threaten its appearance.
“Pompeii is an ancient city which in some spots is fully preserved,”
Zuchtriegel says. “Since we needed an extensive lighting system, we could
either keep consuming energy, leaving poles and cables around and disfiguring
the landscape, or choose to respect it and save millions of euros.” The new
technology will help the archaeological site to cut energy bills and make it
more enjoyable, he adds.
The invisible solar panels—or traditional PV tiles as they are technically
known—were created by the Italian company Dyaqua. They can be designed to
appear like stone, wood, concrete or brick, so can be hidden on walls and
floors, as well as on roofs, says Dyaqua’s Elisabetta Quagliato."
Via Diane A.
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
