Members of St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church will vote on Sept. 20 on whether or not to install a solar photovoltaic system on the church roof. If the vote is affirmative, this system will offset about half of the church’s energy usage.

The cost of a 40kW system is $120,000, and the church has received commitments of $42,000 in donations toward the project. The congregation has also received a $73,800 Made in Minnesota (MiM) grant, which will be divided equally over the next 10 years. It is based on $0.15 per kW generated by the array.

The church’s Solar Committee members are hopeful that this installation will help promote community discussion on lowering its environmental footprint.

Congregational president Andy Sackreiter listed what a 40kW system would do:

• Save 73,800 pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the same as 3,950 trees

• Offset 1,100 tons of carbon dioxide over a 30-year span

• Generate half of St. Anthony Park Lutheran’s energy consumption

• Save the church $257,000 in energy costs over 30 years

In preparation for the September meeting, the Solar Committee is executing a fundraising campaign, investigating and recommending financing options, and preparing to recommend the size of the solar array.

Readers wishing more up-todate information on the proposed project and on crowd-funding plans are invited to go to saplc.org/solar.

The Solar Committee consists of David Brostrom, Bjorn Gangeness, Ev Hanson-Florin; Jason Langworthy, Bill Lorimer, Mary Mergenthal, Andy Sackreiter, John Seppanen, Sara Skovholt (chairperson) and Pastor Glenn Berg- Moberg. Clara Sorensen is the youth liaison.