In my experience cemeteries are cold, windy places with little purpose other than, in some sense, to soften the cruelty of death for grieving relatives. The upkeep of a grave, adding personal little touches, visiting on Sundays or on anniversaries all provide solace of a source, and like everything else it can become a bit of an industry. Of course there are strong arguments against using large tracts of land to house the dead, but they do provide green spaces in cities and give crowded centres of population room to breathe.
One large town in Spain, Santa Coloma de Gramenet near Barcelona, has now discovered another benefit of setting aside space for the dead. This town of some 124,000 people who are squeezed into 4 square kilometres has installed 462 solar panels on top of the mausoleums. This, it is claimed, will be able to provide electric power for 60 homes each year which is equivalent to a reduction of 62 tonnes of carbon dioxide finding its way into the atmosphere every year.
Of course the sensitivities of some grieving relatives had to be overcome before the installation of €720,000 worth of the grey-blue panels.. It was thought by many as disrespectful towards the dead, but assurances were given that the installations would be discrete and unobtrusive. Given that the mausoleums hold five levels of the deceased above ground, the panels sit well above eye level, and the necropolis of 57,000 is now of much more than just sentimental value to the town.
Cities often have trouble finding the ideal location for the installation of solar panels because of the lack of open spaces. Buildings block light from reaching ground level for much of the day and people find the sight objectionable, so a sprawling cemetery offers everything needed. More panels are envisaged for the future.
