Archived News Release: July 12, 2018 - The City of Ann Arbor is committed to significantly reducing its carbon emissions by encouraging local building owners to use energy wisely and invest in renewable energy. To meet the city's goal of generating 2.4 megawatts of solar energy each year — enough to power over 400 houses — the City of Ann Arbor Energy Office is partnering with Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, seeking houses of worship to join the effort. This initiative, known as the Solar Faithful, aims to promote solar on houses of worship.
Solar Faithful will hold its third information session — Solar Power Purchasing Agreements for Nonprofits — on Wednesday, July 25 to discuss solar financing options for nonprofits and houses of worship. This free event will be held at the Campus Chapel in Ann Arbor and is open to all, yet specifically tailored for nonprofits and houses of worship interested in learning about financing options for solar installations.
Solar Power Purchasing Agreements for Nonprofits
Wednesday, July 25, 7–8:30 p.m.
Campus Chapel, 1236 Washtenaw Court, Ann Arbor 48104
Please RSVP if you or a representative from your house of worship plans on attending. Contact: Bob Chapman, executive director, Michigan Interfaith Power & Light, [email protected] | 248.537.9175.
In recent weeks, the Solar Faithful program has been developing a model for financing solar at houses of worship working with an investor. The Solar Faithful program has engaged a legal firm to assist in the development of templates for working with an investor to finance the solar installation, such as the legal forms required to set up an LLC and to engage in a Power Purchase Agreement. By working with an investor, houses of worship can benefit from a 30 percent federal investment tax credit for solar that otherwise is only available to taxable property owners. The templates that will be discussed at this event are a key enabler in moving forward with a solar installation financed by investors either within the congregation or within the local community.
In addition to being long-standing institutions in the community that can financially benefit from long-term investments in energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy generation, houses of worship also serve as beacons in their community. “Attending for how we use energy is an important part of our faith identity," said Jane Vogel, past board president of Michigan Interfaith Power & Light and current liaison to the Solar Faithful project team.
The Solar Faithful project has been awarded $10,000 in technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in the SunShot Initiative's Solar in Your Community Challenge, a nationwide solar contest. The goal of the Solar Faithful partnership is to empower houses of worship with funding strategies to install solar power.
# # # # #
