Concord Catholic Parish Goes Solar with Diocese of Oakland Solar Program
Novato and Sonoma based SolarCraft, a leading North Bay solar installer for over 35 years, recently completed the installation of a 157.6 kW DC solar system at St. Bonaventure Catholic Church in Concord, CA. The system is designed to provide over 91% of the annual electrical needs for the facility. The solar panels will allow the church to save energy and protect the environment, reducing their utility costs by thousands every month, for decades to come.
The solar power system is roof mounted for maximum sun exposure on the church and gymnasium buildings, consisting of 444 high-efficiency solar panels, producing 200,878 kWh annually. Excess power generated during the day is sent back to the grid for credit towards future use at night or when the sun isn't shining.
"Having the opportunity to bring solar energy to our parish allowed us to further our alignment with our values and efforts to care for God's creation," said Christa Fairfield, St. Bonaventure Parish Life Director. "SolarCraft's service and professionalism allowed us to take this step with ease."
The solar installation at St. Bonaventure is one of many planned through the Diocese of Oakland Solar Energy Program for Parishes and Schools, displaying community leadership by promoting environmental responsibility through the implementation of renewable energy, but also recognizing the importance of managing operation costs. Installing solar panels will save them money on utilities, freeing up the operating budget for serving the parish and essential community projects.
California Clean Energy (CCE), a Renewable Energy Service Provider for nonprofit organizations, will own the system and recover its costs through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the church. A PPA is an alternative to purchasing or financing your own solar power system, providing nonprofits the opportunity to utilize clean solar energy with no up-front costs and no system operation, maintenance, and replacement costs. Customers, such as St. Bonaventure, benefit from fixed electricity prices which will never increase.
Every year over 142 metric tons of carbon dioxide generated by St. Bonaventure's operations will be eliminated. This impact is equivalent to removing air pollution produced by over 8.5 million miles of driving over 25 years or the pollutants removed by 167 acres of trees in one year.
About St. Bonaventure Catholic Church
St. Bonaventure is a Catholic Community made up of approximately 2,700 families, starting in 1953, when a five acre parcel of land was donated by Minnie Rose to the San Francisco Archdiocese. In 1957 ground was broken. Two additional acres were bought from Annie Carlos, one of the surviving children of Mrs. Rose, and she gave the parish another two. On June 26, 1957 His Excellency John J. Mitty, Archbishop of San Francisco appointed Father Matthew C. Carolan as the first pastor. He named the new parish "St. Bonaventure."
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.
