Houses of Worship Could Help Fuel the Energy Transition. Solar Evangelists Are Hard at Work on That
New Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church members celebrate the installation of rooftop solar panels in southwest Detroit. Credit: Courtesy of Michigan Interfaith Power & Light
Some faith-based nonprofits are helping congregations fund energy alternatives, an effort that complements a national Sun Day event this weekend to promote solar use.
The connection between solar panels and his church mission wasn’t immediately obvious to Wilson Moore, deacon of New Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. But when he was tasked to install energy-efficient renovations to the church building, Moore began to see the possibilities.
As Moore met with businesses and utilities, it became clear that installing solar would allow the church to do more of what it has always wanted to do—provide aid to its community in times of need.
The southwest neighborhood copes with nearly two dozen nearby polluting industries, including a petroleum refinery and wastewater treatment plant, and congregants experience frequent home power outages, he said.
“If you have a breathing machine, you need electricity to keep going. If you have a mobilizing chair, you need electricity to charge up. Families need a place to get cool, sit down, have a meal, and be at peace while they wait for the power to come back on,” Moore said. “It dawned on me—that’s our church.”
