Salisbury congregation powers on solar

In 2015 the LCA’s General Synod backed a call for members to consider their impact on the environment in everything they do.

One case study in this area is The Ark at Salisbury Lutheran Church. The Ark has looked to improve its energy efficiency since 2013 and to cut costs averaging $8500 per year. The congregation identified a number of opportunities for savings, mainly relating to their refrigeration appliances and lighting.

By changing the way it uses refrigeration appliances and by replacing inefficient equipment and lighting, the church is set to save more than $3300 annually and cut its emissions. In 2015 The Ark won a grant for a solar photovoltaic rooftop system. This system is expected to generate sufficient energy to offset the electricity use of the church.

Salisbury Lutheran Church had a solar PV system with a total capacity of 18.72kW installed in August 2016. The panels generated 3.35 MWh in one month – January 2017 – and a total of 16.86MWh between their installation and the end of January 2017. This generation of renewable energy has avoided the emission of 13.48t of CO2.