Dear People of St. Philip’s,

Dating back to at least the early 2000’s there has been interest in exploring the use of solar panels at St. Philip’s. In March of this year interest was renewed by members of the vestry beginning their new term and preliminary work began in soliciting input and proposals from solar companies in our area.

With the passage of the recent federal funding bill that will remove previously existing incentives for renewable energy, what began as a longer term effort has suddenly become a more timely project if we are to take advantage of a 30% savings on the total cost of a solar system if it is installed within the incentive window that will be closing.

Here are some basic facts:

1. Given the position of our existing buildings, the best placement for maximum sun exposure is on the back roof of Miller Hall and the roof of the administration wing facing neighboring houses on Woodside Drive. Bottom line, no panels will be placed on the sanctuary roof, which are slate tiles, and no panels will be visible from either Main Street or the paved parking lot. Therefore, minimal to no impact on the building aesthetics.
2. The possible systems that have been proposed will pay for themselves in 10-13 years, depending on the size of the system. We would realize an immediate decrease in the cost of electricity, which currently costs St. Philip’s over $9600 a year and we will be partially protected from the increased cost of future electricity from Duke.
3. With the addition of a solar system, St. Philip’s makes a real step towards being better stewards of God’s Creation and we significantly decrease our carbon footprint. The current proposals predict our reduced carbon impact over the next 20 years would equal the planting of 8,000 to 10,000 trees, or well over 1.5 million car miles not being driven.
4. Even though St. Philip’s is a non-profit we would still receive back from the federal government 30% of the total cost of the system, which (with the current proposals) equals $20,000 to $36,000 (depending on the system we select), resulting in a net cost to the church similar to the average cost of a new automobile.
5. Our treasurers have identified a way to pay the up-front costs for this with reserves.

The Vestry of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church