Historically, First Parish UCC in Gorham has promoted environmental stewardship as a natural link between its values and actions as a faith community. In addition to the focus on social justice common to faith organizations, the church has declared itself to be responsible stewards of the earth and pledged a commitment to addressing the challenges associated with climate change.
In 2010, the church authorized an energy audit to identify opportunities for reducing heat loss, upgrading systems, improving the comfort of the facility, and lowering costs. This proved to be a challenge in a drafty, 225-year-old building that leaked air and relied on aging heating systems. Following the audit, some systems were converted from oil to natural gas, taking advantage of the nearby gas line. This was followed by the establishment of an Environmental Justice Committee that led to upgrading recycling efforts, smart energy practices, and the creation of educational events for the congregation and the community.
When minister Christine Dyke arrived in 2018, she was a robust advocate for environmental projects and supported the initiatives. In 2020, she urged the installation of 4 electric vehicle charging stations on church property with the help of a grant from Efficiency Maine. Although few members had EVs at the time, the installation reflected the values of the church.
Dyke said “As a faith community we are called upon to be responsible stewards of the earth and do what we can to curb our use of fossil fuels.”
After the charging stations were operational in the summer of 2021, the congregation turned its attention to other projects. The installation of solar panels to generate electricity seemed like the next natural step to use less fossil fuel and save money on electrical costs. The newer addition to the building, a.k.a. Fellowship Hall had the perfect southern orientation for the panels while preserving the appearance of the historical building.
A study showed that the payback period would be 14 years but factoring in a government rebate provided by congressional passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and improved efficiency of the panels, the payback period was revised downward to 8 years. The congregation voted overwhelmingly to authorize the project and money was raised to support the effort.
“This was the easiest fundraising effort I have ever experienced” said Dyke, noting the strong commitment by the congregation.
The installation was completed by Revision Energy in July 2023 and became operational in October of 2023 generating an estimated 30,000-kilowatt hours of power annually to the church and the electrical grid. Simultaneously, high efficiency heat pumps were installed in some of the newer sections of the building to provide heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.
The project is now operational and serves as a model for the community, saves money for the church and demonstrates the activism of a community committed to responsible environmental practices. As you pass the church, look up at the solar array on the roof and realize that this system is generating power from the sun to be used by the church and the community.