First Unitarian Church of Cleveland installs high-tech solar array

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Solar panels are not often talked about as an expression of religious conviction.

But as the debate over climate change heats up, the panels are going up at houses of worship across the country, regardless of denomination. Such renewable energy is seen as an expression of conservation, or of what religious leaders call environmental stewardship or earth ministry.

In Shaker Heights, a huge $500,000 high-tech solar array is under construction at the First Unitarian Church of Cleveland. Believed to be the largest church solar system in Ohio, the array will form a canopy over part of the parking lot at the back of the church.

The 380 panels have a generating capacity of more than 91,000 watts - enough to supply the yearly power needs of about 10 homes.

Installer Rob Martens said the system is also large enough to take care of about 80 percent of the church's annual power consumption. It will be tied into the Illuminating Co.'s distribution operation, and electricity will flow into the utility's lines when its output is not needed in the church, said Martens, who owns Bold Alternatives, a local solar company.

First Unitarian is paying nothing for the project, the Rev. Daniel Budd said. Nor will the church face monthly payments to buy the array.

Solar Action LLC, a second company of Martens', will own the system for 10 to 15 years. At that point, Martens will have it appraised and either donate or sell the system to the church.

For now, Solar Action will sell the power to the church at a price 2 cents per kilowatt-hour below whatever the Illuminating Co. is charging, Martens said. Those monthly power payments, plus a 30 percent federal tax credit that would not have been available to the church, will pay for the system, he said.

Martens expects to sell the solar credits associated with the power generated by the array to any utility that has not been able to buy or generate power with renewable technology. An Ohio law requires power companies to generate green power, buy green power or buy credits in place of the power.

Church administrator Doug Aubin said about $12,000 a year is spent on electricity for the 88,000-square-foot church - and that's after converting the lightning to compact fluorescent bulbs and more efficient linear or tubular fluorescent bulbs over the last six years.

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First Unitarian Church of Cleveland installs high-tech solar array