To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, Monaco has decided to increase the share of renewable energy, with a particular focus on the use of solar power.
The Principality has access to plenty of solar resources, experiencing an average of 2,917 hours of useful sunshine every year.
To assist this effort, the Mission for Energy Transition has made public the Solar Resource Map of the Principality of Monaco.
This website is an interactive map that allows users to easily identify every roof in Monaco, its potential solar resource, the exploitable area on which photovoltaic panels could be installed, and the possible annual electricity production. This means that residents can find out the solar capacity of their building.
To set an example, many of the Principality’s public buildings are equipped with solar panels, including schools, crèches, Fontvieille fire station, and residential and office buildings.
To support the installation of solar panels, the Monegasque Government has also introduced a guaranteed subsidy lasting 15 years for the generation of photovoltaic power.
In September 2019, the Grimaldi Forum became the Principality’s largest solar power plant, with 2,500m2 of photovoltaic panels, 1,500 modules and annual production of nearly 650 MWh, making the congress centre self-sufficient and allowing it to supply neighbouring buildings.
It has overtaken the Monte-Carlo Bay, which had previously covered its roof with 789 photovoltaic panels, generating 160,000 KWh per year, enough to supply 30 households for a year.
The installation of solar panels on the roofs of public buildings in the Principality has been made possible by the National Green Fund. Established in 2016, the Fund, partially financed by the State’s budget surplus, provides money for a range of projects.
Today, renewable energy accounts for 24% of the energy consumed in Monaco. In addition to the installation of solar panels on Monaco’s roofs, the Principality was one of the first countries to generate energy using seawater heat pumps.
The first seawater heat pump in the Principality was installed in 1963, at the Rainier III Outdoor Swimming Stadium.
