Jordan is looking to a solar-powered future for it’s mosques and schools Jordan is setting an example for the rest of the world with a nation-wide push to switch to renewable energy sources. Since 2014, this push has focused on the nations many mosques, which are now almost all powered by solar energy. Schools and public buildings have also led the charge in adopting solar energy. The aim for Jordan is to make its capital city, Amman, completely carbon-neutral by the year 2050.
“The main reason for the use of solar energy is religious duty,” said Ahmad Al Rawashdeh, the Imam of the Ta’la al-‘Ali mosque in Amman. Islam urges conservation of nature’s resources, he said, and “warns against extravagance”.
This initiative is particularly effective due to Jordan’s plentiful sunlight, with the country getting 300 sunny days every year. These kinds of natural advantages will be essential if Jordan, and other Middle-Eastern countries, want to shift away from their overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels. Despite the push for solar panels, 96% of Jordan’s energy comes from fossil fuels imported from its neighbours. May Allah reward Jordan for this initiative and give all nations the ability to switch to sustainable energy sources.