Rome to open world's first zero-energy museum

The Museo Storico della Comunicazione in Rome will become the world's first museum with zero energy consumption, thanks to innovative lighting technologies developed by artist and energy technology innovator. The project originated from a lecture at Politecnico di Milano's School of Design in October 2019, where the artist presented the concept of replacing conventional energy technologies with eco-friendly, locally produced alternatives. In early 2020, the artist proposed a pilot project to Politecnico and ENEA, which was later tested at the Museo del Palazzo Ducale in Gubbio with support from the Italian Ministry of Culture. The new technologies, which eliminate the need for individual power supplies for LED lights, will be first applied at the Museo Storico della Comunicazione, a museum under the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy. The project is also supported by the Faculty of Engineering at Sapienza University. The artist highlights the current energy and raw materials crisis, which has halted large-scale projects relying on Asian production, as the impetus for developing these alternative technologies. The museum's lighting system uses a single transformer made in Italy to convert the entire installation to low-voltage direct current, eliminating the need for multiple power supplies. The materials used are eco-friendly, including self-hardening ceramic, cellulose, and minimal iron, with artisanal production processes.