Churches in Pennsylvania are getting solar panels installed on their buildings with the prospect of financial savings. At St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Ardmore, the church officials had solar panels installed so they could better help the environment. The chapel was able to pay for the work through savings they’ve had. Lots of congregations are looking to find a way to install solar panels and other ways to help combat climate change. Now that the new Inflation Reduction Act has been passed, non-profits are able to get financial help from the federal government through their annual taxes to reimburse them for 30% of some of the costs it took to install.

For churches and other religious congregations, having the initial funds to install solar panels to their buildings is no small feat. Not all of them have a savings or endowment that St. Paul’s in Ardmore has. One person decided to take the matter into his own hands after trying to get solar panel funding for his congregation. Noel Smyth founded Solarize Delco and Holy Solar LLC within his community. Holy Solar LLC was initially created to help his Lutheran Temple gather the federal funding they needed to get solar panels installed to their buildings. Solarize Delco is used to help promote and inform residents of Delaware County about solar energy.

Smyth isn’t the only one to start a non-profit to help improve access to solar panels. The Clean Energy Co-Op is a non-profit that helps fund non-profits and local businesses with solar panels. Groups like the Clean Energy Co-Op and Holy Solar LLC can improve accessibility to solar panels throughout municipalities and businesses of all sizes.

Click here to read the full article. Originally published October 5, 2022 by The Philadelphia Inquirer.