Through the years, St. John’s has taken several steps to reduce our environmental impact. This includes caulking, insulation where possible, replacement of incandescent lights with LED’s, low flow toilets in newer areas, removal of energy-hungry fans in the sanctuary, and participation in Xcel’s Wind Source program. (This is now known as Renewable Connect and it is a subscription where Xcel provides a small portion of our service from renewable sources, and they work to develop more renewable sources). We have also looked at investing in solar farms in the area, but these have proven difficult to access.
Energy production is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) which contribute to warming the climate. GHG is a calculable value that can be tracked directly to energy consumption. Switching to solar from a fossil fuel dominated electric supply dramatically reduces our greenhouse gas emissions and can reduce our electric bill.
Adding solar panels will not only significantly reduce our future energy bills and our carbon footprint but it will be a visible statement to our commitment for a sustainable future for St John’s, the neighborhood, and our children.
Over the years, we have looked at solar panels. Multiple bids have been considered but were too expensive at the time or untimely due to the state of the roof itself. It was recommended that we hold off on solar until the roof had been replaced.
We now have a new roof on both the sanctuary and the parish hall. Currently, there are multiple financial incentives from the federal government as well as the city and Xcel that will reduce the cost of solar installation significantly. The federal incentive will not be extended after this year and the viability of the other incentives after that time is unknown.
Buff Grace from MN Interfaith Power and Light will be at our adult forum on Sunday the 28th. Buff has been the solar ambassador for MNIPL for several years and has extensive experience working with churches and connecting them with solar providers. He will share with us the benefits of adding a solar system and why it is right to do it now.
Watch the bulletin board in the hallway for information about solar and the proposed system. We want your feedback! There is a place for comments and questions on the Bulletin Board. You can also talk or email directly with Doug Mensing, Allen Gooch, or me, Sarah Parker. We want to know your concerns and comments.
On behalf of the Earth Matters team – Sarah Parker
