Druid Hills Presbyterian Church Goes Solar!
ATLANTA—After passing their final Georgia Power Witness Test last month, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church (DHPC) has officially gone solar! With the help of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), DHPC installed 117 panels on their roof. These panels each generate 440 watts of power and will offset the church utilities bills by 26 percent, producing an estimated 73,000 kWh in their first year of use.
The energy will be used to power the campus, congregation, and its on-campus partners including Intown Cares (formerly Intown Collaborative Ministries), Mercy Community Church, Druid Hills Child Development Center, and Children 1st Community Development Services.
Faith communities, like DHPC, that install solar become models of energy independence for their neighborhoods and embody a sacred commitment to being good stewards of the earth. When someone attends a congregation that has solar, they are more likely to invest in sustainability at home.
Interim Pastor Rev. Betsy Turner notes that “It's been exciting to see this solar panel installation come to fruition and now to announce it to our neighbors! This project is a natural culmination of DHPC's long and deep commitment to mission. This church serves neighbors, works for a more inclusive and just society, and cares for the earth, and we believe that this solar array brings those commitments together in a powerful and public way.”
Not only does solar energy displace fossil fuels, improving air quality and generating many environmental and public health benefits, additionally, by producing their own energy, congregations like DHPC also reduce their reliance on the grid and hedge against rising energy rates. In the next three years, Georgians will see a 36 percent increase in their utility bills—amounting to a whopping $45 a month for the average customer.
“Solar is a great high-impact solution for congregations looking to make a real difference in their communities,” says Codi Norred, the Executive Director of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light. “And with the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022 solar is becoming even more accessible to nonprofits and faith communities!”
DHPC Clerk of Session, Eric Dusenbury said, “This project allows DHPC to honor God by being good stewards of our physical and financial resources. Energy from the solar array is energy that does not come from fossil fuels. It is also money the church can spend on programs rather than overhead."
The panels at DHPC were dedicated in February 2023. If your faith community is interested in learning more about solar, contact GIPL at programs@gipl.org for a free solar assessment today!
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Located on Ponce de Leon in the Midtown / Virginia-Highlands neighborhood, Druid Hills Presbyterian Church is an opening and affirming PC(USA) congregation with a strong commitment to inviting people into Christian community, celebrating God’s work in the world, and serving the needs of neighbors.
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that works to mobilize people of faith toward environmental action. As part of the national Interfaith Power and Light movement, GIPL sees the response to global climate change, resource depletion, environmental injustice, and pollution as an extension of faith. Learn more at gipl.org.
