Solar-Wise Case Study: Temple Beth Tefilloh
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) works with faith communities across Georgia to expand access to solar energy. Did you know rooftop solar is one of the 20, state-wise, high-impact solutions identified by Drawdown Georgia? In addition to reducing a congregation's carbon impact, solar energy displaces fossil fuels, improves air quality, and generates many environmental and public health benefits. By producing their own energy, congregations reduce their reliance on the grid, hedge against rising energy rates, and become models of energy independence for their neighborhoods embodying a commitment to being better stewards of Sacred Earth
Through the Solar-Wise program, GIPL offers free, professional solar assessments to congregations. We review and debrief the assessments with faith communities and help congregations where solar is viable procure proposals from vetted solar installers. We assist in the evaluation process of these proposals and then help communities in finding funding and grants for their installations, including offering a limited number of $15,000, zero-interest solar loans.
One congregation GIPL helped through the Solar-Wise program was Temple Beth Tefilloh in Brunswick, Georgia. Temple Beth Tefilloh is a small, reformed Jewish congregation in Brunswick, Georgia. They have around 65 families who attend the synagogue and operate roughly 8-10 hours a week. They are open mostly on Fridays and Saturdays.
They enrolled in GIPL’s Solar-Wise program and began the solar process in June 2021. As part of the Solar-Wise program, they received bids from multiple installers. After interviewing the installers, and through conversations with GIPL staff, they selected Creative Solar as their installer. The solar installation was installed on the roof of their social hall in June 2022.
The congregation needed several improvements to accommodate solar, including a new roof and an updated electric circuit. To pay for the project they applied for and received one of the zero-interest Solar Loans from GIPL and a grant called Solar Moonshot through the Hammond Climate Foundation.
Temple Beth Tefilloh is also in a historic zone in Brunswick and had to go before a historic zone committee to get the solar proposal approved. The zoning commission had never had an application for solar before but approved it. They asked that the panels remain as invisible as possible—a common occurrence in these situations.
With solar, Temple Beth Tefilloh’s monthly power bill went down over 80 percent. Their annual greenhouse gas emission also decreased. Before solar, they were emitting 6.3 metric tons of greenhouse gas. Annual greenhouse gas emission after solar is now 4.9 metric tons—a 22% reduction. Talk about a payback for the planet!
Learn more about our Solar-Wise program at gipl.org/solar-wise or contact our Program Director, Hannah Shultz, at hannah@gipl.org today!
