Case Study: Solar Power for Places of Worship

Recently, we have been working with Chart House Energy to install solar panels on church buildings in West Michigan. Chart House Energy, based in Muskegon, MI, specializes in clean, emission-free electricity solutions. Chart House Energy is part of a group called Solar Faithful which consists of multiple clean energy installers. Solar Faithful uses local investors to help churches and houses of worship utilize solar energy. After the addition of solar panels, it is expected that each church’s energy bill will be 10% lower, translating to significant long-term cost savings.

Butler Electric was brought in to assist in installation for Lutheran Church in Muskegon. We focused on making the solar panels look natural with the rest of the building by having the panels flush up against the shingled roof. The Lutheran Church of Muskegon is ideal for solar panels; there is plenty of parking around the building with very few trees that would prevent sun from reaching the panels.

We were very excited to help a local church and its community by extension. Due to the church’s daily activities, including wedding, funerals, and church services, our team had to be mindful of the noise we were potentially making on the roof.

Church staff expressed that having solar energy is important for their mission to help their community and care for the Earth, and other churches are taking note of the benefits of solar energy. Any solar energy that is unused by the church flows back to the grid, which gives the church credit from the utility company. Solar energy is expected to be installed for a few churches in Grandville, Okemos, and more.

If you’ve been thinking about using solar energy, contact us today at 616-643-8287 for more information or for a quote.