Israeli parliament installs 450kW rooftop solar system

Israel’s parliament has gone solar, with the installation of a 450kW rooftop PV system which it describes as the largest solar project completed by any national assembly in the world.

Officially unveiled on Sunday, the 1,500 panel rooftop solar array, which should be fully operational by June, will ultimately supply about 10 per cent of the Knesset’s electricity needs, with an installed capacity of 450kW.

Alongside energy efficiency measures, it is also expected to cut the building’s energy costs by one-third by the end of 2015.

“What is happening before our eyes is a true revolution in energy conservation,” said Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, who helped to initiate the Green Knesset Project, of which the rooftop solar array is a central reform.

“It is not just the solar panels; it is the message, the idea, the new path,” Edelstein added. “This is not merely a revolution in energy saving; it is also a turning point with regards to the environmental awareness revolution that we have been promoting over the past two years.”

Overall, the Green Knesset Project – which was co-initiated by Knesset director-general Ronen Plott, with the guidance of sustainability coordinator Dr Samuel Chayen – involves a wide range of building upgrades, including an overhaul of the water, air-conditioning and lighting systems.

Jerusalem Post reports that two electric vehicle charging spots have also been installed in the Knesset parking lot, and plastic water bottles have been eliminated from committee meetings.

Plott, who says that the money invested in the Green Knesset Project should repay itself within five years, hopes that other government institutions will follow suit.

“I turn to everyone and say government offices and everybody in Israel, come to the Knesset and see how this is done,” he said.

Although not as big as Israel’s, Australia’s federal parliament in Canberra numbers among those in the world that already host solar panels.

Contrarily, the offer of a free rooftop solar system – supplied and installed – for the residence of the Australian Prime Minister, Kirribilli House in Sydney, was recently rejected on behalf of its current occupant, Tony Abbott, over concerns including cleaning costs and security.