SALISBURY — The newly completed energy efficient project at the Salisbury Congregational Church has much higher aspirations than just saving money.
“We are trying to protect God’s creation — the environment,” said Kerry Noble, who serves as the head of the church’s Green Team. “We did this as a Christian action.”
The stately Salisbury Congregational Church has stood tall in the center of the village for more than 200 years, serving not just its parishioners, but the community as a whole. Often in the forefront of current issues, it has once again taken the lead, this time in the realm of environmental sustainability.
Joining in a partnership with Eversource and Interfaith Power & Light, the church now has significantly reduced its carbon footprint providing a more enjoyable atmosphere for its 175 members, while at the same time maintaining the historic character of the building.
The church’s Green Team, comprised of Theresa Carroll, Ruth Choate, Angela Lomanto and Karin Noyes, along with Noble, was established five years ago.
It continued some of the original simple initiatives undertaken by parishioners a few years earlier, said Noble, such as using no plastic, eliminating as much paper as possible and composting when possible. The Board of Christian Action was following the guidelines of the Environmental Ministries of the United Church of Christ.
The first step taken by the team toward becoming green was replacing every light bulb with LEDs.
“We were able to model the cost savings in electrical use based on replacing every incandescent, inefficient bulb with LED bulbs and then were able to apply for incentives,” said the church’s pastor, the Rev. John Nelson.
The second step was installing a solar array and then converting from oil burners to electric heat pumps.
Eversource provided a $75,000 grant, which allowed for the retrofitting of the LED lighting, replacing two boilers with air source heat pumps and installing a heat pump water heater. The church also put in 34 kW of removable solar panels and a publicly available EV charging station.
In speaking of the project, Nelson said, “working with Eversource was seamless. For our congregation, environmental stewardship is an extension of our faith and values.”
He said this endeavor has allowed the church to create a more comfortable space for the parishioners without compromising the building’s history “all while demonstrating that even historic institutions can lead the way in energy efficiency.” He believes this is the first church in the Northwest Corner to undertake such a project.
He spoke highly of the interaction of the church with the town’s Historic District Commission. “We worked carefully with the members and respected their boundaries. They approved the conversion of asphalt shingles to metal and the installation of the 40- kW solar panel array.”
The last step of the project was the placement of a two-port electrical vehicle charger powered by the solar array, which is situated on the west side of the building. Nelson likened the charger to hitching posts of the past.
As a result of these upgrades, the church has completely eliminated its reliance on fossil fuels and is expected to see an estimated 11,800 kWh in annual electricity savings, as well as a lifetime reduction of more than 400 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
Noble said the cost outlays, some of which came from the church’s treasury, will be justified by the savings realized. Some savings are seen in the form of credits from Eversource to offset whatever is received off the grid.
“This project has been successful because of the energetic commitment and positive spirit and support for building a compassionate world,” said Nelson.
Noble added, “This is not just about efficiency, but it’s an incredible opportunity. There is the stewardship element for the church and the environment. It’s about taking care of the earth and reducing climate change. The parishioners feel we’re doing the right thing. It’s kind of a miracle.”
In a news release, Tilak Subrahmanian, Eversource vice president of energy efficiency and electric mobility, said, “through thoughtful collaboration with church leaders, a trusted contractor and the Historic District Commission, Eversource ensured that the integration of modern, energy-efficient technology respected the building’s history.”