New legislation aimed at reducing the costs of sustainable energy is benefiting churches and their surrounding communities.
The Inflation Reduction Act was a piece of legislation passed in 2022 that was a game changer for those who wanted to upgrade to greener systems. The law significantly decreased installation prices through government tax credits, incentivizing people to get the work done. This opportunity was not only reserved for individuals' houses but also for community buildings.
Lisa Cleveland helped her church in Compton, California, Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ, get its solar panels installed. The solar panels will help the church reduce its electricity bills, allowing the funds to be reallocated toward its food program that feeds hundreds of people.
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"With Covid-19 coming in, there are a lot of community churches that are closing, because attendance is down. That means the funding for programs and ministries are also down," she told Canary Media. "Installing solar panels gives them an opportunity for funding to use in other areas of ministries."
Now, Cleveland is encouraging other congregations to meet with nonprofits that will help them bring solar energy to their communities. The churches she works with benefit, especially because they exist in lower-income communities.
While a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Energy showed an increase in solar installations within religious institutions, they have typically only been in "relatively wealthy, White, and educated census tracts." With these new incentives and nonprofits, the opportunity for cleaner and cheaper energy has broadened.
There is a community "solar seeding" effect, too, that makes the impact of this legislation even bigger. Studies have shown that community landmarks have a strong influence on their communities — solar panel installation is no different.
In fact, one study coauthored by Eric O'Shaughnessy of Clean Kilowatts showed that every nonresidential solar installation "will accelerate adoption rates by something like 0.4 adoptions per quarter," or about 1.2 additional solar systems per year.
This means that the IRA has made solar energy more attractive to many more people through its affordability and accessibility.
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