Vatican City has officially become the first country to run entirely on solar power, as reported by Forbes. What makes this moment historic is not just that a nation achieved full solar status, but also the way it did it. Rather than installing panels over open land, the Vatican turned to agrivoltaics, a method where solar panels share space with crops. This creates a shaded growing environment that stores moisture, reduces heat stress and soil erosion, and often boosts yields for crops such as strawberries, lettuce, peppers, basil, and tomatoes.
The shift traces back to 2015 when Pope Francis released Laudato Si, encouraging global action against climate change and calling for energy systems that lower emissions. That vision advanced into policy when the Church authorized a large agrivoltaic installation on land near Rome, specifically designed to power not just Vatican facilities, but the nation in full. Today that system has reached full operational status.
Before this milestone, seven countries operated entirely on renewable power but relied mostly on hydropower or geothermal sources. Vatican City is the first to be fully solar.
The significance extends well beyond Church walls. Many countries already have enough farmland to replicate this model. Agricultural land needs minimal coverage to meet national electricity demands because agrivoltaics doubles output through power generation and improved crop value. Solar is now among the cheapest electricity sources globally, which means farmer income often increases rather than decreases.
Similar moves are emerging internationally. Churches in the Philippines have placed solar panels on all parish rooftops. The Maasin Diocese was first to electrify all its churches through solar installations. In the United States, organizations like Catholic Energies and Interfaith Power & Light help religious institutions shift to solar even when tax incentives are limited.
The Vatican’s achievement is a proof of concept. It shows that a nation, even the smallest one on earth, can transition fully to solar quickly and create economic and environmental upside along the way. Agrivoltaic systems blend food production with power generation, making the land more productive rather than displacing agriculture. As energy demand rises and climate risk intensifies, this model is likely to move from symbolic first to global blueprint.
