Church in Rural Pennsylvania Goes Solar, Projected to Save Nearly $70,000 on Energy Bills

Solomon’s United Church of Christ, a small congregation in New Franklin, goes solar with RE-volv, blazing the trail for other churches and organizations.

NEW FRANKLIN, PA, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Yesterday, Solomon’s UCC, in partnership with RE-volv, held a solar energy celebration for their new 12 kW solar array. With 30 solar panels, the system is designed to generate 100% of their electricity needs and allow them to save 27% every month on their energy bills that they will invest back into their mission and community programs. They will also avoid emitting 549,500 lbs of CO2 emissions over the system’s lifetime. The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, brief remarks from the church pastor, Julia Brown, GreenBrilliance, who installed the solar array, and RE-volv, who provided the financing. The event included refreshments and educational solar booths for the public to learn about their options to go solar and save.

“What it comes down to is if we're spending less money on operating costs, we will have more money to direct toward all of our missions,” the church’s pastor, Julia Brown shares. “I’m grateful for the IRA tax credit and to RE-volv for the work they do with nonprofits and houses of worship. The solar tax credit will go a long way in helping us pay for the panels and put money into our outreach programs instead of our operations.”

Now that the Federal solar tax credit is available to nonprofits through a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) known as Direct Pay, RE-volv is able to provide even greater monthly electricity savings for the nonprofits it serves. Through RE-volv’s zero-down solar financing model, this translates into $68,700 of savings for Solomon’s over the system’s 20 year lifespan.

The savings will enable Solomon’s to grow its Power Packs program, which provides weekend meals and snacks to children of food-insecure families and holiday meals to their households. It will allow more funding for the church’s Action Centered Toward Sharing (ACTS) which currently supports the following community programs:

Salvation Army
Franklin County Homeless Shelter
Women in Need (a local women’s shelter)
The Gleaning Project (a South Central PA collaborative nonprofit effort to reduce food loss on local farms and increase food security in the community)
Little Daisy’s Closet (similar to a thrift store, but providing free clothes)
Fruit Belt Farmworker Christian Ministry (which provides basic needs to migrant workers in the area).

“RE-volv is grateful to support Solomon’s transition to clean energy by providing accessible financing and community engagement efforts, like this solar ribbon cutting,” said Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv. “Solar projects at houses of worship, like Solomon’s, are creating an ongoing positive impact in the community. It shows neighborhoods that financial and environmental benefits of solar are obtainable for them.”

Recent research from Lawrence Berkeley Lab on the “seeding effect” of solar has shown that non-residential solar installations can inspire up to 80 homes in the community to go solar over the next five years.
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About Solomon’s United Church of Church (UCC)
Solomon’s United Church of Christ (UCC), located in New Franklin county near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, has been serving the community for over 50 years. With 70 community-serving congregation members, Solomon’s mission is to be seekers of God's will, way, and word. The church supports the following community programs in addition to their weekly Sunday service: Community Gardening, New Franklin Power Pack Program, Franklin County Homeless Shelter, Women in Need (a local women’s shelter), The Gleaning Project (a South Central PA collaborative nonprofit effort to reduce food loss on local farms and increase food security in the community), Little Daisy’s Closet (similar to a thrift store, but providing free clothes) and Fruit Belt Farmworker Christian Ministry (which provides basic needs to migrant workers in the area).

About RE-volv
RE-volv is a climate and energy justice nonprofit that helps nonprofits in historically excluded communities across the country go solar, while raising awareness about equitable climate solutions and training the next generation of clean energy leaders. To date, RE-volv has developed and financed solar projects for over 70 nonprofits in 18 states, collectively saving them $20+ million on their electricity bills, allowing them to better serve their 50,000 beneficiaries. The 4MW+ of solar RE-volv installed to date will avoid 100,000 tons of CO2 emissions over the life of the systems. RE-volv is an inaugural member of the White House National Community Solar Partnership and is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Innovation Network. Learn more at re-volv.org.

About GreenBrilliance
GreenBrilliance is a pioneer in the solar energy industry, with over two decades of experience providing top-notch solar solutions to customers across seven states, including Pennsylvania. The company is dedicated to empowering churches and nonprofit organizations to achieve energy independence, ensuring a sustainable and serene environment for worship and community service without the burden of rising energy costs. With a steadfast commitment to quality and innovation, GreenBrilliance combines advanced solar technology with personalized service to deliver long-term energy savings and environmental benefits. For more information, visit GreenBrilliance.com.

Tierney Sheehan
RE-volv
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