Copyright Ville de Saint-Joachim
Wishing you all a peaceful Good Friday
Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network
A beautiful idea’: This French Town Is Making its Cemetery a Source of Solar Energy
A community on the Loire in France has come up with a solar-powered idea that will clear two hurdles in a single leap.
The town of Saint-Joachim is located near the Brière marsh, a peat bog that becomes easily inundated with water. The local graveyard rests at 0 feet above sea level, and standing water has become a major problem.
The mayor eventually proposed covering the graveyard to divert the rainwater into catch tanks to water the grass around the cemetery and nearby sporting complex in the dry summer months.
Solar panels—clear, see-through ones, were also proposed for the otherwise basic overhead covering, with each resident receiving a letter explaining the proposal and asking for their opinion on the idea.
97% of Saint-Joachim’s residents liked the concept, and a power-sharing scheme was quickly determined whereby each resident would pay €5.00 for a share of the power generated there, which might be enough to supply around 1,000 people with enough solar power to save a couple hundred euro every year on their electric bills.
The power company in charge of the project designed an algorithm that gathers data on energy usage and determines how much each home needs to meet a fixed percentile of its overall consumption. That way, everyone, from a supermarket to the hairdresser to a single-family home, receives the same energy savings from the cemetery solar power.
The municipality will fully finance the €3.35 million ($3.6 million), 1.2-acre installation using a 7% property tax increase.
“I think it is a beautiful idea,” Éric Broquaire, a local resident and president of Brier’energie, told Euronews. “The purpose was to make it simple, to avoid someone saying, ‘Why don’t I have electricity for free?’ Everybody, even companies, will have the same level.”
The good news in this article is that a community has figured out not only a new source of energy but also a way to distribute it to the residents on a fair basis. Today’s JohnKu talks about fairness. I’m wishing you all a peaceful Easter weekend.
Fairness by John W. Howell © 2024
The distribution,
Of a scarce commodity . . .
Needs fairness also.
Fiction Favorites 
wishing you a great Easter weekend John. The free power share is a great idea. Hugs
LikeLiked by 1 person
Actually everyone pays according to the amount they use. Happy Easter, David. Hugs to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brilliant!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought so too. Thanks, Annette.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know here we have farms doing this very thing. If we keep it up, we just may succeed in saving this planet!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think there is a lot of effort going into that end, GP. Thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m on board for the energy part, but uncle Jacque has a post through his chest now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, that was unfortunate. He didn’t feel a thing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I wondered about that…
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁
LikeLike
So, the solar panels block the rain? Not sure if that’s how they stop the flooding.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think they put a berm around the cemetery.
LikeLike
The past continues to support the future. That’s a bright idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point, Pam.
LikeLike
Now, that’s putting technology to good use, with fairness as the human component. Yay!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fantastic idea. Happy Easter, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Teri. Happy Easter to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an innovative concept.
Wishing you and yours a blessed and happy Easter, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thak you, Mae. Happy Easter to you as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another great uplifting post, John. Thank you for sharing, and bravo to the people of Saint-Joachim.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes. They seem to know what they are doing. Thanks, Gwen. Happy Easter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s a good idea!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think so too. Tim. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
The community worked together to find a fair basis. What a concept, non?
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a concept oui.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a brillliant idea! If only more communities worked together; what a wonderful world this would be.
Happy Easter to you and yours!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Dale. I can’t imagine what could be accomplished with cooperation.
LikeLike
It’s a crazy idea… maybe it will catch on someday (she says in a wistful voice).
LikeLike
Yeah maybe. People working together is not a popular notion here in the US
LikeLike
Not better in Canada, unfortunately.
LikeLike
Happy Easter to you
LikeLike
What an innovative idea! Kudos to these people for their ingenuity! Great JohnKu!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jan. I so agree on the ingenuity
LikeLike
This is inspiring, John. Happy Easter!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Easter, Kymber
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a brilliant idea! And I’m happy the village thought the solution was in their best interests. Over here we’d probably politic it to death with nothing getting done because everyone was in their respective bunker. Thanks for sharing it is possible for people and government to come together to solve problems. Wishing you and the fur-kids a ‘hoppy Easter. 🐰
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your nail on the head comment. Happy Easter to you and the Ranch hands. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Somebody certainly had their “thinking caps” on here, John. Innovative and forward-thinking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Bruce. They all were thinking to come up with a great solution
LikeLiked by 1 person
Now that is a different cemetery! And a good idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree, Jo. I hope you have a super weekend.
LikeLike
Humans have this amazing ability to create problems and then later find out ways to solve them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
They are, Pete. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Easter, John!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Easter, Deborah.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an absolutely fantastic concept – and it saves the cemetery. The human mind is so largely untapped but when ti is….! Happy Easter, John, to you and the Mrs., Twiggy and Tempeste.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Noelle. Happy Easter to you and Hubs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s fascinating how people can come up with new and better ideas when they put their heads together, instead of knocking them against each other.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah. It’s funny how that works.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an unusual idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes it is. I’m surprised humans could do it.
LikeLike
That’s terrific, John. So original too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree on the originality. Thanks, Barbara
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy these posts immensely, John. I hear so much bad news everyday that the good news feels wonderful. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean, Diana. Good news just makes us feel better. Thanks. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Excellent!
We should have more of these types of projects.
Instead of waiting problem to exist, future issues should be identified and addressed prior to it being a problem.
Anyway, happy this is happening, and hope it serves as an example.
You JohnKu is fair(ness) Love it!
🐂🐂🐂🐂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you. The problems is humans aren’t very proactive. Thanks for kind words about my john Ku.🐂🐂🐂🐂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always enjoy your JohnKu’s.
They are quite specific. I never have to Zen out for a meaning.
😉𝐗
LikeLiked by 1 person
No you don’t have to contemplate very long on my stuff. 😊X
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sharing energy is good, but cemetry…it makes ponder. 🤔Thank you for the news, dear John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
These people are French remember. 😳
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s great news! I hope it catches on. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I do too. Of course, it takes humans to do it and there is the weakest link.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So true John. But hope floats. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving. “Hope floats.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person