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In a suburb of Zarqa, between humble rows of residential blocks, stands the Jobayb bin Oday mosque. Its stone skeleton is planted on an arid hill of the second most populous city in Jordan.

It's mid afternoon and in his gut the imam in charge, Yusef el Rifai, departe with some neighbors. There is still an hour left for the speakers to announce the Maghreb's prayer, their echoes echo through the neighborhood and the room is filled with faithful. The moor is one of the hundreds of temples that have starred in the last five years a silent and unprecedented energy revolution in the Arab country .

"This is a green mosque," says the sheikh, as a welcome. Two years ago, a succession of solar panels grew on the roof of the mosque, occupying the void that once held the dome.

«Since then we have saved a lot on the electricity bill. Before we paid between 500 and 700 Jordanian dinars [between 630 and 800 euros] per month. Now, the cost has been reduced to zero, ”he explains.

The campaign, sponsored by the Ministries of Religious Affairs and Energy, has been extended by Jordanian geography, including its 6,500 mosques. According to government figures, a thousand temples have already joined a millionaire project that aims to eliminate thousands of tons of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere every year.

ENERGY MOVING

The rest will run the metamorphosis in the coming years. «These and all that are around are already green mosques. It is a very popular initiative ”, points to EL MUNDO Yazan Ismail, auditor in one of the Jordanian consultants hired to work on the energy move.

Amman - whose street of four million inhabitants extends without a precise limit to the nearby Zarqa, with 1.35 million souls - aims to be one of the first 70 cities with zero emissions on the planet in 2050 .

A goal that has begun where the faith of a part of its inhabitants is heading.

«It is a matter of national security. Jordan has to import up to 97 percent of its energy from neighboring countries and 80 percent of that energy goes to generating electricity, ”warns the engineer. " That mosques reduce their bill to zero is an important contribution, " he adds.

In a country that enjoys more than 300 sunny days a year, places of worship have mutated in carbon neutral buildings. Solar energy not only supplies their daily needs but has begun to mitigate state dependence. "The installation uses the energy produced during the day and the surpluses are directed to the national network," said Ismail. The total cost of the installation, about 100,000 euros, was borne by the Government and local and international donors.

«I take care of the maintenance and daily cleaning of the panels myself. I try to ensure maximum productivity. We use electricity for the operation of air conditioners, fans, lighting and water heaters. We don't use any fossil fuel , ”the imam boasts. The project, a pioneer in an area of ​​the world where environmental sensitivity is still far from the public agenda, has stirred consciences.

HOME FACILITIES

«The popular reaction has been very positive. The use of solar panels has increased. Many neighbors are installing them in their own homes, ”confirms Ismail. Government offices, hospitals and schools have bridged the gap opened by mosques that have also begun to embrace environmentalist postulates.

According to forecasts from the Jordanian kingdom, 20 percent of its energy should come from renewables in 2022 and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 40% over a decade. Ambitious commitments that must also litigate the ravages of population growth and the effects of climate change.

Its population of 9.7 million inhabitants has grown dramatically due to the conflicts that mark its borders. The country hosts more than 660,000 Syrian refugees; 67,000 Iraqis and 14,000 Yemenis. «The problems to supply energy have multiplied. The massive installation of solar panels can help reduce the demographic impact , ”suggests Ismail.

In search of the objectives, the Emirati state company dedicated to renewable energy disbursed last year 188 million dollars in financing the largest solar plant in Jordan. Its construction against the clock should be completed in a few months. The facility will be operational in 2020 and will supply some 110,000 homes.

Islam and the environment

In the conservative city of Zarqa, the energy transformation was born between sermons and prayers.

«I like the denomination of 'green mosque'. Green is the color of Islam. Here there was a lot of green before the solar panels arrived. It's the color of carpets and doors, ”jokes Al Rifai, although he has not been the only one to establish the relationship.

There is a clear connection between Islam and the environment . The Prophet Muhammad already said that God is beautiful and loves beautiful things, ”mutters Ismail.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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