Are solar panels affordable? Judging from the inquiries MCCN receives about grants from the Pam De Young Net Zero Energy Fund, a number of churches are working on that question. According to an article that appeared in the print version of the August 2016 issue of The Mennonite,
Favorable economics are making net zero energy plans more than just pipe dreams. Mark Horst, a part-time pastor at the Yoder campus of Journey Mennonite Church, South Hutchinson, Kans., and owner of King Solar, a solar installation company, says that the cost of solar panels has dropped more than 50% in the last five years. When Horst started in the business in 2011, the price for a residential system was about $7 per watt and a typical 5000-watt system would have cost $35,000. Today, the price for the same system would be $15-16,000.
The article also describes the experiences of two congregations in our network that already have solar: Benton Mennonite Church, Benton, Ind., and Kern Road Mennonite Church, South Bend, Ind. Read Turning Away from Despair: NASA Scientist Calls Mennonite Churches to Pursue Renewable Energy.