The event, which is open to the public, will be held at Saint Mary's, located at 1 Phalanx Road in the Monmouth County Township of Colts Neck, N.J. The event will follow a 5 p.m. Mass and will take place outside at the solar power generation system, where representatives from Saint Mary's and the Catholic Diocese of Trenton, of which Saint Mary's is a part, will address the audience, along with local politicians and dignitaries. Refreshments will be served immediately afterwards.
"We are hosting a ribbon-cutting event for our solar system because we are very proud of it," said Reverend Thomas J. Triggs, Pastor at Saint Mary's. "This renewable energy project is an important step in the fulfillment of our commitment to the environment. We have raised the environmental bar and our accomplishment will encourage Catholics and all people of faith to examine how we use and share the earth's resources."
Solis Partners designed, installed, operates and owns the 155-kilowatt ground-mounted system, which offsets approximately 90 percent of the parish's annual electricity usage, including that of the church, the spiritual center, the family life center and the rectory – all located on Saint Mary's property.
The system was installed under a third-party financing structure called a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that allows the church to receive all the benefits of solar without any upfront cost.
"We're thrilled to support Saint Mary's with this project and are excited to celebrate the ribbon-cutting event with them," said Jamie Hahn, co-founder and managing director of Solis Partners. "The PPA was a smart choice for Saint Mary's to realize maximum benefits from solar power, a truly renewable source of funding that will continue to support their mission for years to come."
The Solis PPA allows businesses, churches and schools to adopt solar for no money down and to pay less than they had previously paid for electricity. The PPA allows Saint Mary's to lock in predictable electricity rates for years to come, protecting them from rising energy costs. The Solis PPA is a unique, full-service solar option–including financing, design, installation, monitoring and maintenance.
Under the PPA agreement, Solis Partners retains ownership of the system
for 15 years, during which time it maintains and operates the system. The clean energy generated is sold back to the parish at a 75 percent discount from their current utility rates. This represents an expected savings of more than $450,000 over the next 15 years. After 15 years, Saint Mary's has the option to assume ownership, thus receiving free electricity for the remainder of the system's life, which is more than 25 years.
The system consists of 686 solar panels that are expected to produce approximately 188,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity in the first year of operation. This equates to the reduction of more than 250,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of offsetting the power demand of 28 residential homes or removing 15 cars from the road each year.
The ribbon-cutting event will precede Saint Mary's annual Earth Day Expo on April 22, which is open to the public and will be held in the parish hall. The exhibition, which was coordinated by the Environmental Committee, will consist of 16 tabletop displays from various groups and organizations promoting the environment, one of which will be Solis Partners.
Other exhibitors include Master Gardener, a volunteer program that educates the public on gardening and horticulture; Clean Ocean Action, a leading national and regional voice working to protect waterways; and 4-H, a youth organization that will distribute tree seedlings.
Since its founding in 1972 as an independent parish, Saint Mary's Parish has been a stewardship community in the Roman Catholic tradition. In 2006, the parish expanded the church and constructed a new family life center, due to the parish more than doubling in size to approximately 7,500 parishioners. For more information about Saint Mary's, please visit www.stmaryscoltsneck.com.
