The Chiesa del Carmine Green Project was born from the decision to improve and make more efficient, the global energetic output of the parish structure by implementing a virtuous system of both sustainable and circular economy.

The project intends to implement what is contained in the EncyclicalLaudato si’ which strongly underlines the importance of renewable energies and their good use. Among the topics covered by Pope Francis, an important passage concerns precisely these resources:


In the world there is a low access to clean and renewable energies. There is still a need to develop technologies suitable for storage. There is still a need to develop technologies suitable for storage.


Particular attention to renewable sources of energy can also be seen in the many passages in which the need for a more respectful and balanced relation with our planet is emphasised; introducing even systems that can allow for a reduced and better consumption and drastically reducing waste of resources and energy so as to improve the overall efficiency of production systems.

It’s undeniable how, at a global level, the awareness of the necessity to produce energy in a responsible and renewable manner is becoming increasingly diffused; this commitment has been accepted both in institutions and across the social fabric, with a constantly increasing number of people who are aware of and favourable to green technology.

From this point of view, the Chiesa del Carmine has long decided to walk along an increasingly green path, which includes concrete practices that are currently in use:

Use of biological and ecological cleaning products and detergents

over the last years, we have witnessed an increase of the damaging effects of traditional detergents on water organisms and the environment. By choosing ecological and biological cleaning products and detergents, the Chiesa del Carmine safeguards the health of those who use them and helps to leave our future generations with a more liveable world.

Differential waste collection:

It is both an obligation by law but also – and especially – a good practice to reduce the environmental impact of waste. By improving the parish spaces, The Chiesa del Carmine has tried to make this practice more accessible, providing waste bins and containers for differential waste collection in different spaces of the Parish.

Uso di prodotti biodegradabili

(plates, forks, glasses, etc.) during Parish celebrations and other events, limiting the use of plastic to a minimum.

The different types of plastic pollution have a large impact on all of Creation. Half of all the plastic produced was created only over the last 15 years. Its production has increased in an exponential way from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons in 2015. This is a trend that may double starting from 2050. It is estimated that some plastic products may last at least 400 years before breaking down.

Continuing on the way of love and respect for the environment of which we are all a part, The Chiesa del Carmine, thanks to the support of sector experts, has prepared and intends to carry out the requalification of the entire heating system of the parish structure, trying to have an “almost zero” impact on all Creation.

TECHNICAL DATA AND PROJECT

  • Milan degree-days: 2.404 (HDD);
  • m3 (cubic metres) heated: about 8.000 m3
  • Gas oil consumption: 25.000 litres – average cost: € 32.000/ year
  • Electricity consumption: 35.000 kWe / year – average cost: € 7.000 / year
  • polluting emissions equal to: 65.94 T CO2
  • Current boiler power: gas oil 185 thermal kW – Staircase A
  • gas oil 215 thermal kW – Staircase B

Efficiency improvement consists in the elimination of gas oil plants, including the inerting of tanks containing gas oil for heating and the creation of 2 thermal plants, to replace the existing ones, located in: Staircase A – heat pumps with a global potential of 90 thermal kW; Staircase B – heat pumps with a global potential of 90 thermal kW and microgenerator with a potential of 34 thermal kW and 15 electrical kW.

The energetic requalification will allow the optimization of thermal consumption and to produce, thanks to the co-generator, an estimated amount of electrical energy of about 42.500 kWe / year. Considering the electrical consumption of the heat pumps for the heating, in order to close the energetic cycle, it is necessary to install a photovoltaic system (the project is currently being studied given the fact that The Chiesa del Carmine is situated in the historical city centre and is subject to monumental and heritage restrictions).

This intervention would allow a drastic reduction of the current polluting emissions, which are equal to 65.94 T of CO2 / year. The electrical production of the co-generator occurs with the use of methane gas: a bivalent technology capable of producing both thermal and electrical energy using only a minimum amount of methane.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

Investment: € 307.000,00 + VAT.

  • Current Incentives:
  • Comune di Milano: about € 90.000,00
  • Thermal bill: about € 50.000,00;
  • white certificates: about € 15.000,00

Economic saving: about € 25.000,00 / year for the overall energetic management.