Our church installed rooftop solar panels in 2021 to power its building entirely with clean electricity, seeking to encourage environmental stewardship and follow the biblical mandate to care for God’s creation.

According to Rochester Area Interfaith Climate Action, ours is the first solar-powered house of worship in the Rochester area. 

A 90-panel array sends surplus power onto the grid of Rochester Gas and Electric Corp. during the summer and draws electricity from the grid to make up for any shortfall during the shorter, cloudier days of winter. The system’s performance in its first year suggests it will produce about 35,000 kilowatt-hours annually and meet our building’s need.

GreenSpark Solar of Ontario, Wayne County, installed the system. The project cost approximately $72,000, partially offset by a subsidy of about $12,000 from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority.

A financial analysis by GreenSpark estimated that the system will slash the church’s electricity bills by enough to pay for itself within 14 years, The output of the solar panels is covered by a 25-year warranty, and they are expected to generate power for 30 years or more.