Framingham, MA
Gold Certified Cool Congregation, 110% carbon reduction
The 168 solar panels that grace the lovely St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Framingham, produce three times as much energy as the church consumes. Their carbon footprint, already reduced by the installation of high efficiency gas boilers in 2009, has been reduced to the point of being a negative carbon footprint! They are enjoying free energy and are able to sell net metering credits worth 300% of their own usage to other churches in their community who are unable to install solar panels themselves. St. Andrew’s has in effect become a modern day, clean energy power plant. Stewardship of resources, using its building as a tool for ministry, becoming a statement of evangelism to the community, and caring for Creation are all important parts of who they are as a worshipping community. This project spoke to all those parts of its mission.