Going Solar for Mission - How three diocesan churches are saving the environment and serving their communities - St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
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Solar panels at Nativity, Raleigh. Photo courtesy of Southern Energy Management
By Summerlee Walter
Going Solar for Mission
How three diocesan churches are saving the environment and serving their communities
The cost savings are significant, but ultimately, St. this was a part of it,” St. Andrew’s treasurer Chris Berger
Andrew’s, Greensboro, viewed installing solar panels on explained. “A lot of people talk, and we wanted to put our
the church as an act of mission, a way to redirect resourc- actions where our words are.”
es toward serving the community and saving the environ- Growth in the church’s mission and ministry was actu-
ment instead of maintaining the church building. Since ally the force that made the parish examine its electric bill
their installation in spring 2020, St. Andrew’s panels have in the first place. The congregation was growing, more
generated 28.86 megawatts (MW) of power, which equals activities were taking place in the building throughout the
45,090 lbs of carbon dioxide saved. That’s the equivalent week, and there was an increased demand for space in the
of 51,401 miles driven, 22,606 pounds of coal burned, or church from outside groups. All of this led to a higher
2.5 homes’ worth of annual energy use. Put another way, electric bill.
St. Andrew’s has saved the amount of carbon sequestered As a result, St. Andrew’s joined a growing number of
by 25.1 acres of U.S. forests in one year. That’s impressive churches in North Carolina, including Nativity, Raleigh,
for a single roof ’s worth of panels. and St. Philip’s, Durham, installing solar panels. Care for
“The driving force for us was we strongly believe and creation, a desire to use resources for mission instead of
have a conviction of taking care of our community, and building upkeep, and some enticing financial incentives
20 The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2021 Making Disciples, Making a Difference
are the reasons churches cite for embracing this clean Net Metering
energy.
“Caring for creation is woven into the fabric of our While self-contained battery storage
relationship with God,” the Rev. Ginny Inman, rector of systems for solar installations will one
St. Andrew’s, explained in her solar energy presentation to day be a viable solution for homes and
the virtual diocesan gathering held in November 2020. businesses, the current system of pri-
Caring for creation is also one of the foci of the vately owned or leased solar panels in
developing diocesan mission strategy. (Read more about North Carolina depends on net metering.
the mission strategy on page 12.) According to Carl Sigel, With net metering, a building’s meter runs
a member of the diocesan Chartered Committee on backward when a building is using less
Environmental Ministry and dedicated environmentalist, electricity than the solar panels are gener-
one of the five proposed creation care-related goals in ating or forward when a building is using
the mission strategy is carbon reduction. Tapping into the more electricity than the system is gener-
power of renewable energy is one strategy toward achiev- ating (e.g. at night or when the sun isn’t
ing this goal. shining). The electricity that is generated
is sold back to the local electric utility—
Duke Energy or Duke Energy Progress in
GOING SOLAR
most of North Carolina—and the energy
Sigel’s congregation, Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, has
generated is reflected as a savings on the
long embraced sustainable practices, like composting and building’s electric bill.
recycling, carbon recapture and community gardening,
through its Zero Waste Church initiative. In 2014, the
vestry set a goal of becoming a net-zero church by 2030.
Since beginning seriously to research solar energy in 2015,
the church has been strategic in making the switch, opting have reduced the church’s monthly electric bill by 50-55%,
for a step-wise approach. For example, because removing but the system as a whole currently is cost-neutral once
and reinstalling solar panels is expensive, Nativity decided the leasing payments are taken into account. The church
to wait to install them on the sanctuary until the aging has the option to purchase the lease from the company
roof of that building needs to be replaced. Because the for the residual value of the panels in year 10, and Berger
church opted for a donation-based model of funding the calculates the option becomes very financially attractive
panels, there were also financial considerations to install- after 13 years. The panels and inverters are projected to
ing solar panels only on the education building at the last 25 years, with only a 15% drop in efficiency by the
outset. That structure’s south-facing roof, ideally situated end of their lives. (High-end panels with as little as 5%
for capturing the sun’s energy for as long as possible each degradation are also available for a premium.)
day, also made it an appealing place to start. St. Andrew’s also received a rebate from Duke energy,
Ultimately, Nativity contracted with Southern Energy as well as a $10,000 green grant from the Diocese of
Management to install the panels on the education build- North Carolina to help fund the solar panels.
ing in 2018. The project cost $75,000, and the church While both the cost savings and the buffer solar en-
received a $24,000 rebate from Duke Energy and a $5,000 ergy provides against rate increases are appealing, Berger
green grant from The Episcopal Church. The rest was views St. Andrew’s investment in renewable energy as ul-
raised through private donations. In the pre-pandemic timately mission-driven: “How do we do something good
years of 2018 and 2019, Nativity realized an average by our belief and be good shepherds of our resources?”
savings of $5,500, which the church redirected toward St. Philip’s journey toward installing solar panels arose
outreach. The solar panels currently supply approximately from similar conversations. When long-time parishioner
35% of the campus’s electricity needs. Sigel calculates the Hildegard Ryals died in 2012, her bequest to the church
panels will pay for themselves in 10 years and projects was earmarked to fund projects that aligned with her pas-
Nativity could reduce its energy consumption by 90% sion for creation care, children’s ministry and outreach.
with the installation of additional panels and an updated The Ryals Committee, formed of parishioners who knew
HVAC system. Ryals, taking seriously her commitment to “air, water and
While Nativity was able to fundraise the full cost of earth,” created the AWE Fund to finance larger projects
installing solar panels, many other churches opt to lease with annual contributions from her endowment. Af-
them. St. Andrew’s leases from Eagle Solar and Light ter several years, the AWE Fund had grown enough to
through the company’s lease to own program. The panels finance Ryals’ long-time dream of installing solar panels
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2021 21
on the church. ries. Solar panel installers can apply on behalf of their
The timing worked out well with the solar rebates customers, making it even easier for churches to receive a
Duke Energy Progress was offering; the church’s $30,000, rebate.
12.4 KW system, installed on the parish hall in the fall Sigel advises churches wishing to explore solar energy
of 2019, yielded a $10,800 rebate from Duke. Since then, to get a free energy savings analysis from North Carolina
the system, installed by YES Solar Solutions, has gener- Interfaith Power and Light (NCIPL). NCIPL will pro-
ated approximately 10% of the church’s electricity needs, vide a detailed report with energy-saving recommenda-
and the system will pay for itself in about 16 years. The tions ranging from simple to complex, and Sigel advises
system has already saved 38,233 lbs of CO2 emissions, churches to begin with the low-hanging fruit while re-
which is equivalent to planting 282 trees. searching larger, more expensive projects like solar panels.
Once a church decides it is serious about the possibil-
EXPIRING REBATES ity of installing solar panels, NCIPL suggests getting a
While the environmental and missional benefits of solar free solar suitability study from a reputable installer. From
will always be significant, the North Carolina Solar Rebate there, it’s a matter of figuring out the financial component
Program through Duke Energy will expire at the end of of the project, which through leasing, rebates and grants
2022. The rebates, which came out of House Bill 589, can be surprisingly affordable, especially given the long-
offer residential, nonresidential and nonprofit custom- term cost savings.
ers the opportunity to apply for a rebate up to 90 days Ultimately, the decisions to install solar panels is a mis-
after a solar panel system has been installed. The rebate sional one. As Inman put it, “How can our facilities be an
applies to both leased and owned systems, and nonprofits asset rather than an albatross?
are eligible for a one-time rebate of up to $75,000. There
are two application windows per year, one in January and
one in July, and rebates are allocated by random selection Summerlee Walter is the communications coordinator for the Diocese
among all entities that apply in each of the three catego- of North Carolina. Contact her at summerlee.walter@episdionc.org.
Solar panels are installed at Nativity, Raleigh. Photo by Carl Sigel
22 The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2021 Making Disciples, Making a Difference
Getting Started with
Solar Energy
HOW-TO
• Identify a basis of support within your
congregation.
• Consider the suitability of solar at your site.
o Most solar installation companies will do
a free solar suitability study.
o What size system do you need/can your
building support? How much electricity do
you want to generate? How much space do
you have for panels?
o Consider roof requirements (area and
ability to support weight of solar electric
system, shade considerations) or look into
installing solar panels on adjacent land.
o South-facing installation is preferred.
• Consider financing options: buying or leasing.
• Gather bids from multiple companies.
• Apply for a rebate from Duke Energy, or ask the
installer to apply on the church’s behalf.
RESOURCES
• North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light Solar
Clearing House:
ncipl.org/solar-clearinghouse/
Includes guides to financing and best practices,
plus success stories from other faith communi-
ties
• Zero Waste Church (Church of the Nativity,
Raleigh): zerowastechurch.org
• Greening our Faith Summit Solar Webinar:
http://bit.ly/GreeningFaith
• Eagle Solar and Light FB Live:
http://bit.ly/EagleSolarLive
Addresses the solar panel installation process
SOLAR INSTALLERS
• Eagle Solar and Light
• Southern Energy Management
• YES Solar Solutions
CONTACTS
• Gary Smith (smithgk@mindspring.com), North
Carolina Interfaith Power and Light Energy
Working Group
• Carl Sigel (cwsigel@aol.com), contact for From top: Solar panels are installed at St. Philip’s, Durham.
Church of the Nativity, Raleigh, and the Commit- Photo by Mary Kintz Solar panels installed on the roof of St.
tee for environmental Ministry Andrew’s, Greensboro. Drone footage by Robin Hardman
• Chris Berger (ceberger5@me.com), contact for
St. Andrew’s, Greensboro
Reflecting the Radical Welcome of Jesus The North Carolina Disciple | Spring 2021 23You can also read
