Holy Spirit Catholic Church & School

House of Worship Solar Electric Installation Project Profile

Rising electrical costs were becoming a serious problem, leading Holy Spirit Church church leaders to consider installing solar photovoltaic (PV) systems at their Fremont, CA church & school.  Answering the call, SolarCraft designed & installed a 68.6 kW DC solar system at Holy Spirit Church and an 89.6 kW DC solar system on the adjoining School, both roof mounted and consisting of 570 high-efficiency solar panels total.

The combined systems are designed to produce 220,861 kWh every year, saving Holy Spirit over $50,000 annually in utility expenses.  Excess power generated during the day is sent back to the power grid for credit towards future use when the sun isn’t shining.

“Working with Jeannie, Blake, and the rest of the great folks at SolarCraft made the entire process completely smooth and straight forward,” said Jeff Van der Sluis, Business Manager at Holy Spirit Church.  “They kept us well informed every step of the way, it couldn’t have gone any better. We are thrilled to be fulfilling the calling of Pope Francis in being good stewards of our planet by switching to renewable energy for our large campus here at Holy Spirit, not to mention the long term significant savings in our utility bills!”

California Clean Energy (CCE), a Renewable Energy Service Provider for nonprofit organizations, will own the system through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the church.  A PPA is an alternative to purchasing or financing, providing nonprofits the opportunity to utilize clean solar energy with no up-front costs and electricity prices that will never increase.

Every year over 156 metric tons of carbon dioxide generated by Holy Spirit’s operations will be eliminated.  This impact is equivalent to removing air pollution produced by over 9.5 million miles of driving over 25 years or the pollutants removed by 184 acres of trees in one year.

About Holy Spirit Church & School

Holy Spirit Church is an historical landmark located in the Centerville District of Fremont. Originally named Holy Ghost Church, it has brought worshipers together for the Sacraments since 1886. A Parish of The Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland, California, it serves a diverse community of individuals of the Catholic Faith.  It has always reflected the growth and diversity of the parish and the community surrounding it.

SolarCraft is 100% Employee-Owned and one of the largest green-tech employers based in the North Bay for over 35 years.  SolarCraft delivers Clean Energy Solutions for homes and businesses including Solar Electric, Solar Pool Heating and Battery / Energy Storage.  With over 7,000 customers, our team of dedicated employee-partners is proud to have installed more solar energy systems than any other company in the North Bay.    www.solarcraft.com.

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