Feb 13, 2023 07:00:00

The ruins of Pompeii are equipped with ``solar panels that look like Roman roof tiles and blend into the landscape.''

At the ruins of the ancient city of

Pompeii in Italy, solar panels disguised as terracotta tiles and roof tiles, which are unglazed pottery, are installed to generate power used for lighting the ruins.

Disguising solar panels as ancient Roman tiles in Pompeii
https://techxplore.com/news/2022-12-disguising-solar-panels-ancient-roman.html

Ancient Pompeii site installs 'invisible' solar panels that look like Roman terracotta tiles
https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2023/02/06/ancient-pompeii-site-installs-invisible-solar-panels-that-look-like-roman-terracotta-tiles

Pompeii, located near Naples in Italy, is famous for being buried in the ground by the pyroclastic flow generated by the eruption of Vesuvius volcano in 79 AD, and the state of that time is preserved. More than 3.5 million tourists visit Pompeii every year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.

However, due to the sheer scale of Pompeii, a system to power the entire site could be disfiguring. Therefore, the Pompeii Archaeological Park introduced 'solar panels in the style of terracotta tiles.' 'It looks exactly like the terracotta tiles used by the Romans, but it produces the electricity needed to light the frescoes,' said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

The solar panels installed in the ruins of Pompeii are ' Traditional PV Tiles ' developed by Italian family-owned company Dyaqua . The tiles integrate a polymer compound that allows sunlight to pass through and power generation modules, and the polymer compound is camouflaged to look like tile, stone, brick, or wood to the human eye.

Traditional PV Tiles have already been installed on the roof of the

Thermopolium (dining room for the common people) of the ruins of Pompeii and the mansion ' Vetti's House ' opened to the public after 20 years of restoration work.

Traditional PV Tiles have been approved by the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Activities, and have been installed in traditional buildings other than Pompeii, the Italian National Museum of the 21st Century, etc., and have also contracted with the local governments of Croatia and Portugal. It is said that there is.

“Pompeii is an archaeological park, but we also want it to be a real-world laboratory for valuing sustainability and intangible heritage,” said Zuchtriegel. “Our initiative is more than just a symbol. Through the millions of tourists who visit Pompeii, we want to send a message that cultural heritage can be managed differently and more sustainably,' he said, referring to future renovation projects at Pompeii. But I explained that I would consider Traditional PV Tiles.