INTERNATIONAL - Workers this week started to install solar panels on the royal palace in central Stockholm. Over 600 units will be mounted on the roof over the next six weeks.
The building, which dates back to the 18th century and has almost 600 rooms, is being fitted out with enough solar panels to meet more than 10 percent of its annual power demand. With Sweden targeting to get all its power from renewable energy by 2040, King Carl XVI Gustaf wants to make sure he does his bit.
The panels were given to the king as a 70th birthday gift by the National Property Board in 2016, but have not been fully installed until now due to permitting-issues for the historical building. The Swedish National Heritage Board only gave the go-ahead once assured the units would not be seen from the ground.
“The only chance you will get to see the solar cell panels is when you fly over Stockholm,” Erik Kampmann, administrative head of the royal palace, said in a statement.
Sweden’s largest source of power is hydro, followed by nuclear and wind. Solar accounts for less than 1 percent of the nation’s total.