Environmental Sustainability: The Italian Embassy in London installs latest generation solar panels as part of the Foreign Ministry’s green strategy to reduce the carbon footprint of the diplomatic network

With a view to reducing energy consumption and operating costs, the Italian Embassy in London recently completed the installation of last-generation solar panels on the roof of the Chancellery, making it the first Diplomatic Mission in the UK to implement this type of alternative source of energy.

The initiative will enable the Embassy to save significant amounts of energy (according to the company which produces the equipment, the reduction in Co2 emission amounts to 77,378 kg or the equivalent of 179 barrels of petrol) and a reduction in electricity costs, which will contribute in a significant way to improve the building’s energy efficiency and highlight Italian know-how in the renewable energy sector.

The improvements have been made possible thanks to the collaboration with G.S.E. (Gestione Servizi Energetici), which combined the care for the environment and the promotion of ‘Sistema Italia’ in a constructive way and with the Gala S.p.a. company, from Rome, which supplied the Italian-made solar panels as well as the materials needed for their assembly, whereas the actual fitting of the panels was carried out by the English company Libra Energy UK Ltd.

This green energy initiative is part of ‘Farnesina Verde’, an action plan spearheaded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation that aims to cut energy wastes, and comprises various eco-friendly projects that have now been extended to the entire diplomatic and consular network.

The new solar panel installation is just one of the many actions that this Embassy has implemented in order to strive for the highest of environmental standards, others include: recycling of old equipment and personal computers, use of eco-friendly paper in all printers and photocopying machines at the Embassy, paper recycling and the gradual replacement of existing lighting with low energy alternatives.

Thanks to the firm commitment to the green cause and the sustained contact of all parties involved, the project, supply and installation of the solar panels were achieved at no cost.


– Farnesina Verde official page

– Farnesina Verde on Twitter