Trinity St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in San Francisco, a historic landmark built in the 19th century, is now home to a 19.74-kW solar system.
The system, installed by SunSource and supported by RE-volv and California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), will save the church more than $261,000 in electricity costs over its lifetime. These savings will be reinvested directly into social justice initiatives, including food insecurity programs and neighborhood cleanups.
“Our church has been a constant in this neighborhood through every chapter of San Francisco’s history. Deciding to go solar ensures our doors remain open and our mission remains sustainable for the next century,” said Mike Chambers, Senior Warden of Trinity St. Peter’s. “Freeing up these funds means we can focus less on overhead and more on our neighbors. We are proud to prove that a historic faith community can lead the way toward a more equitable world.”
“Faith communities have a moral calling to lead on climate solutions,” added Susan Stephenson, Executive Director of CIPL. “Trinity St. Peter’s is so inspiring because it’s a century-old sacred space that is manifesting what our clean energy future can be.”
This Wednesday, the church is leading an Earth Day cleanup to showcase and invite community members to be involved in their community outreach programs.
RE-volv provided the church with a zero-money-down loan, allowing the congregation to start saving on their energy bills from day one.
“Trinity St. Peter’s has been a pillar of the San Francisco community for over 175 years. When a community leader like Trinity St. Peter’s demonstrates its commitment to sustainability through adopting clean energy, that speaks volumes,” said Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv. “It’s an example of true community leadership needed to solve the climate crisis.”
