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Saint Anselm’s, Lafayette, Installs Solar Energy System Print E-mail
Written by Claudia Carlson   
Thursday, 19 July 2007

Solar panels on the roof of St. Anselm'sSaint Anselm’s, Lafayette, has installed a 7.9 kilowatt AC solar photovoltaic system to generate electrical power. Utilizing the design and installation services of Borrego Solar, Inc. of Berkeley, California, the church expects to generate an average of 935 kilowatt hours of electricity per month, lowering its utility bills by seventy to eighty percent.

“I’m delighted with the results – the system is producing 25% more power than we had anticipated,” said Doug Merrill, who supervised the project for Saint Anselm’s.

“We wanted to install solar because we want to do our part to reduce global warming and lower our dependency on fossil fuels. And, from a practical standpoint, we were concerned about the 6% rise per year in utility costs. Having our own solar system will protect us from increasing rates,” Merrill added.

The look of the system was also important “The solar panels look like high tech skylights and make an attractive array,” said Merrill.

Saint Anselm’s is a member of California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), part of a national organization of churches dedicated to providing a “religious response to global warming as the moral issue of our time.” (From California Interfaith Power & Light website.)

Founded in 2001, CIPL member congregations have reduced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by over 20 million pounds while providing environmental education for thousands of congregants representing every major religious denomination in California. 

Saint Anselm’s was able to take advantage of a $2.95 per watt state rebate offered to nonprofit organizations through the California Solar Initiative (CSI), equaling over $15,000 in savings. The solar installation is expected to offset CO2 emissions by over 18,000 pounds per year.

 
Last Updated ( Tuesday, 24 July 2007 )