St. Paul’s in Walnut Creek, Calif. took an interesting route away from carbon power. The chair of the environment committee there started a business called Sonlight Solar, LLC, to provide backing to a project that would convert the church to solar power. Inspired by an October 2006 viewing of An Inconvenient Truth, parishioners found themselves searching for a way to make the solar conversion happen.
Sonlight Solar LLC, as it came to be called, can also take advantage of state incentives and other tax benefits. Initially the church will pay Sonlight for the power generated. Sonlight, from benefits and income, will pay for about half the initial system cost.
The rest of the principal needed was raised by taking bids for loans from parishioners and friends of the parish. Those wishing to bid completed a form stating how much they would like to loan, when they wanted it repaid, and the rate of interest they would like.
“We averaged around 5% on the bids we accepted,” says Mattern. “That’s better for our investors than they would get on a savings account, but less that the 7.75% we were offered by the Episcopal Church Foundation at the time.”
“The parish should begin saving money on the cost of energy in 10 years or less,” said Vasquez.
The congregation is implementing composting and other other green practices as well while examining the theological implications of going green.
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