Solar church
CORTLANDT – St. Christopher’s Roman Catholic Church in Cortlandt has
looked up to the heavens not only for prayer but also for electrical energy.
The church found a way to save money by choosing to switch to a solar
electrical system which could save them nearly 100 percent of their electricity
cost.
Only two things stood in their way; a new structure for their 50+ year
old roof, and an affordable capital to fund the replacement and the solar
installation.
Energize NY solved both of these problems with a 20-year, $150,800 state
loan that covered 100 percent of the costs for both the roof and the solar
installation with only a 3.83 percent interest rate.
Similar to all loans from Energize NY Finance, the annual energy savings
exceeds the annual cost of the financing, resulting in positive cash flow
for the church. In fact, the church is estimated to save $3,600 a year
after the costs of financing.
St. Christopher’s Church is also pleased to be answering the call of
Pope Francis to protect the environment and reduce the effects of climate
change.
The state load from Energize NY Finance was even more affordable through
the use of Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds, which Westchester County
has made available for Energize NY to finance up to $3.9 million in clean
energy projects for not-for-profits like the St. Christopher’s Church
and multi-family buildings that provide affordable housing.
