Unitarian Universalist Congregation Draws Power from Recently Installed Solar Panels

Unitarian Universalist Congregation (UUC) in Binghamton recently held its Sunday church activities utilizing power generated from a newly installed solar power system. The system installed and tested last week has become functional now.

The power generated from the system will allow the congregation to save around $2,200 every year and the generated power will meet nearly one-third of its requirement.

The solar system installed with investment of around $79,580 will generate approximately 14,000 kilowatt hours of electric power every year. ETM Solar works an Endicott-based company that has carried out the solar installation work. The project received grant for the installation from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. The church officials were looking for such an opportunity to go green for nearly four years and the installed facility saves on the energy expenditure of the church and reduces its reliance on fossil fuel generated conventional electric power. It is estimated that the power generated from the facility can offset the carbon discharge from a car that runs nearly 16,000 miles per year by consuming one gallon per 25 miles.

Kate Thorpe, a trustee from the UUC board of the UUC's board of trustees, said that while the church can utilize the saved money for outreaching the needy it can also influence the community with its clean power generation.