Places of worship turn to renewable energy 

With over 47,000 churches in UK, most of which are large, flat, and south facing roofs now catch the sun for interior heat. ChurchCare, the district that facilitates the service and  maintenance of Church of England buildings say that over 376 church owned buildings installed panels  and  more are on the way. This number is  above the average solar vs. no-solar rates for domestic buildings. This renewables energy trend is making waves across Europe. Although reasons for going green and installing panels vary, churches around the UK are eager to install solar and their buildings makes it simpler to install. With gigantic, flat roofs, churches can install panels out of sight  and most of these roofs have been installed within the last century.
 

Benefit from community funding and government grants

Most churches are installing panels as part of green programs supporting them to go green with buildings that are receiving  decent returns. One instance, the Melbourne Parish Church, which generated 11,826 euros via the feed-in-tariff since 2011, averaging just under 3,000 euros yearly. This averages to 54,000 euros over 25 years, as the panels originally cost  40,000 euros. PV power is creating income for churches south of England. Churches have a unique position to benefit from  community funding and government grants. This simplifies the financial process to raise funds to cover the cost of solar panels. Many can be installed without damage and out of sight. Churches and parishes have choices for raising funds but must request the English Heritage for approval first. Communities like Eco Church and ChurchCare have programs to assist churches to afford installing panels. Some installers give deals and provide discounts for churches and church owned buildings.
 

Set an example for the community​​​​​​​

One of the most important reasons churches install solar is to set an  example for the community. ““We were looking for a good environmental project to do, as a kind of showcase of what could be done for the local community, and the roof has a large surface area and is at the right angle to be ideal for solar panels,” says Reverend Dr. Mark Powel of the Melbourne Parish Church. “The fact that you can achieve something like this on a listed building – it encourages other people in the community.” This concept also rings true in schools. After successful installations prove to generate returns, more installations crop up around the area. The UK’s churches have little influence on the country’s green energy production, but they do display a great example. Churches that have solar are generating returns, which can pay the high costs of maintaining historic buildings.

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