Congresswoman Scanlon, state officials, and PennEnvironment celebrate Inflation Reduction Act with tour of solar church

Congresswoman Scanlon, Sen. Cappelletti, Rep. Vitali, PennEnvironment and local leaders at Temple Lutheran Church highlight the landmark legislation’s solar incentives for non-profits

Havertown, PA – Just after the second anniversary of the largest-ever climate investment in U.S. history passing into law, Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, State Senator Amanda Cappelletti, and State Rep. Greg Vitali joined PennEnvironment, Solarize Delco and other area leaders at Temple Lutheran Church to tour the church’s rooftop solar panels.

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, State Senator Amanda Cappelletti, and State Rep. Greg Vitali join PennEnvironment and Solarize Delco at Temple Lutheran Church to tour the church’s rooftop solar panels.Photo by TPIN | TPIN

“Not only does the Inflation Reduction Act make the investments needed to help us reduce the threat of climate change, but it helps consumers reduce their own energy footprints and costs,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon. “In the two years since its passage, it’s been exciting to see PA-05 residents and faith communities implement and benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act’s massive investment in climate rescue.”

Churches across Pennsylvania and the nation are increasingly powered by the sun, thanks in part, to new clean energy incentives from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. The event at Temple Lutheran was also used to highlight the clean energy and energy efficiency tax credits and incentives that are available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for residents, businesses and non-profit groups to go solar, buy electric vehicles, improve energy efficiency and more. The IRA was passed into law by Congress and signed by President Biden on August 16, 2024. 

“There’s never been a better time for houses of worship to use the power of the sun to electrify their congregations,” said Flora Cardoni, deputy director for PennEnvironment. “Plentiful sunshine and generous solar incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act are here. Now is a critical time for more congregations in Pennsylvania just need to take advantage of them.” 

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, Senator Amanda Cappelletti, and PennEnvironment’s Deputy Director Flora Cardoni join Solarize Delco to tour the solar array on the roof of Temple Lutheran Church in HavertownPhoto by TPIN | TPIN

Solar energy is abundant, efficient and increasingly affordable, and houses of worship often are great candidates for rooftop solar panels. While people may frequent these buildings less during the week, their panels will still generate power that churches can sell back to utility companies. And come prayer services and other activities offered by religious institutions, churches and other congregations can also stand to benefit from the clean power and lower utility bills.

Beyond the financial benefits, solar panels increase a community’s energy resilience during extreme weather events. Solar panels and batteries can be independent from the grid, meaning the lights stay on during power outages–a quality especially critical for houses of worship that provide shelter during emergencies. 

In 2021, Temple Lutheran worked with Solarize Delco to install a rooftop solar array large enough to offset 100 percent of its annual electricity usage. This is not only saving the church money on its utility bills, but the array also eliminates approximately 38 tons of carbon emissions annually. 

“When I talk to youth from our church and say ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?,’ they tell me that because of the climate crisis, they’re not sure they can grow up,” said Pastor Tim Johansen. “This is a step forward. These solar panels have been wonderful for our church. They’ve been financially beneficial, they’ve allowed us to be an environmental witness for our community, and they let us tell the good news that caring for the environment aligns us better for God’s will.”

Previously, places of worship and other nonprofits were unable to directly take advantage of federal tax credits to finance the installation of solar panels. Now federal incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act can cover 30 percent or more of the cost of going solar through a new “direct pay” credit, as detailed in a guide from the PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center. 

While Temple Lutheran’s array was installed before the Inflation Reduction Act passed and this funding became available, church leaders hope that their array can inspire other houses of worship across Pennsylvania to follow their lead and get their power from above too.

“Solar is one of the best financial investments that a congregation can make,” said Noel Smyth, president of Solarize Delco. “The Temple Lutheran Project will save the congregation well over $100,000 over the life of the system, making a huge difference for the church and the community.  Additionally, the 44KW solar array will produce enough energy annually to power the church, greatly reducing the environmental impact of the operations and the church was able to fund this with no money down. This is a true Win-Win-Win.”

After the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Solarize Delco, a non-profit dedicated to education and advocacy for solar energy, has provided free consulting to dozens of congregations looking to go solar. 

PennEnvironment is holding events like this throughout the state to help spread the word about the incentives and tax credits available for going solar through the Inflation Reduction Act so that more houses of worship, nonprofits, businesses, and individuals can take advantage of this funding and invest in a clean energy future. 

“In 2023, 158,550 Pennsylvanians claimed more than $260 million in tax credits on their tax returns for installing solar or making other energy efficiency improvements on their homes. These tax benefits are a strong incentive for folks to switch to solar, and by taking advantage of them, Pennsylvanians are telling us that they are willing and eager to make the lifestyle changes we all need to embrace to guarantee a sustainable and healthy future,” said State Senator Amanda Cappelletti. “I encourage all of our community members and organizations to learn more about the tax credits and programs that they can take advantage of to make sustainable changes at a price they can afford.”

Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon, State Senator Amanda Cappelletti join PennEnvironment and Solarize Delco at Temple Lutheran Church to tour the church’s rooftop solar panelsPhoto by TPIN | TPIN

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Resources: 

• How your house of worship can go solar: New federal tax credits are helping churches, synagogues, temples, and other houses of worship go green with solar energy. 
• Clean Energy Home Toolkit: Guides & resources for weatherizing your home, cutting energy bills, buying an electric car, and information on the rebates & incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.