Jordan’s 6,000 mosques to be sun-powered

Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources announced a new initiative that will convert all 6,000 of the kingdom’s mosques to solar generated power beginning this year. It’s part of a five-year program to decrease the nation’s reliance on crude oil while diversifying its energy portfolio to include more renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power.

Mosques are major electricity consumers as five prayer times throughout the day keep their doors open predawn to well after sundown. They require artificial lighting and often feature mechanically heated and cooled air to keep worshipers comfortable. The Jordanian government spends over US$70 million annually to run and maintain its existing inventory and construct a yearly average of 150 new mosques too.

“Mosques use large amounts of electricity and the project will help to significantly reduce their electricity bills as around 300 days in the year are sunny,” Ahmad Abu Saa, a spokesman for Jordan’s energy ministry, told The Jordan Times.

Original article by Laurie Balbo

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Jordan’s 6,000 mosques to be sun-powered