Church Goes Solar on Global Warming
By Stacey Eaton

Christ Lutheran Church has converted—to solar panels.

The solar panels atop the church, located at 357 N Farview Ave., send a message to global warming naysayers: The time for action is now and the rewards can be priceless.

Pastor Kent Klophaus says the church's conversion to an alternative source of energy is more than an act of faith; it is an act of obligation.

Mayor James Tedesco said he is happy to see the community pulling together to protect thier natural resources.

"We have to look at the way we do things," Tedesco said during a March 13 Mayor and Council meeting.

The church is committed to doing just that.

"We wanted to try and prdocue energy that doesn't add greenhouse gases to the world," said Klophaus.

The panels supply electricity to the church and offices and a third of the electricity to an education building on the church campus.

Klophaus said that since the 78 panels were added to the south side of the church's roof, they have been flodded with phone calls from individuals and churches inquiring about the reasons for the addition or how to imitate the project.

Christ Lutheran's interest in the energy switch was sparked by similar curiosity.

During an annual meeting of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a gathering of Evangelical Lutheran church congregations in the state, Christ Lutheran took a cue from a Mendham church and 12 others that they learned were already using the panels in various ways.

Church members agreed that adding the panels was "too beneficial not to do," said Klophaus.

Six months since the addition was completed by Sun Farm Network, a New Jersey-based retailer and installer of solar power systems contracted to do the construction, Klophaus rejoices that the church has suffered little cost.

"It hasn't cost anything out of pocket to build," he explained.

The conversion should have cost $86,000 for equipment and a warranty. But $47,000 in state clean energy rebates, $17,500 in environmental benefit credits and a $20,000 loan from Sun paid for the project.

Sun agreed to pay the balance in exchange for the church buying energy produced by the panels from them, for 90 percent of the PSEG (Public Service Enterprise Group) rate. Additionally, unused electricity is transferred into Paramus' power grid.

"It's a modest savings of a couple hundred dollars. But our primary motivation is what we gain: clean air," said Klophaus.

The church has no new environmentally motivated projects in the works, but Klophaus noted that they are always on the look out for "new and interesting ways to get involved."

"We feel very strong that we have a role to play in the care of our world. This is one way for us to do that," said Klophaus.

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