Kentucky church installs energy efficiency measures and solar panels

The Midway Christian Church in Kentucky implemented a series of energy efficiency measures and solar installations between 2004 and 2018. These efforts included replacing an old HVAC system with heat pumps, installing LED lighting, and adding a 4.5-kW rooftop solar system. The church's journey was supported by the Green Chalice Program and Interfaith Power and Light, leading to its certification as a Green Chalice Congregation in 2014 and a commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

• Between 2005 and 2014, the church spent $46,000 to upgrade its HVAC system, replacing old equipment with a 90 percent efficiency furnace and a mix of commercial-sized three-phase heat pumps for the sanctuary and single-phase heat pumps for the office and basement.
• The church implemented several other energy efficiency measures, including spending $8,300 on double-pane windows for the fellowship hall and $11,800 on LED lighting, the latter of which produced annual savings of $4,706.
• In September 2018, the church installed a 4.5-kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar system on the Fellowship Hall at a cost of $15,000. This system has generated approximately 19,000 kWh in total, averaging 4,500 kWh per year, and has avoided about 30,000 pounds of carbon emissions.
• The church's sustainability efforts were guided by the Green Chalice Program and the 'Cool Congregations' challenge by Interfaith Power and Light, leading the church to become a Certified Green Chalice Congregation in 2014 and commit to being carbon neutral by 2030.
• Using grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service, the church purchased a certified commercial-grade kitchen with energy-efficient appliances, which it rents to vendors for local food markets to generate revenue.

APA

Yañez-Barnuevo, M. (2023). Kentucky church installs energy efficiency measures and solar panels. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/kentucky-church-installs-energy-efficiency-measures-and-solar-panels

Chicago

Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel. Kentucky church installs energy efficiency measures and solar panels. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/kentucky-church-installs-energy-efficiency-measures-and-solar-panels.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yañez-Barnuevo |first1=Miguel |title=Kentucky church installs energy efficiency measures and solar panels |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=26 May 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/kentucky-church-installs-energy-efficiency-measures-and-solar-panels |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaezbarnuevo2023kentucky, author = {Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel}, title = {{Kentucky church installs energy efficiency measures and solar panels}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/kentucky-church-installs-energy-efficiency-measures-and-solar-panels}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }