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People’s United Methodist Church – WI

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January 31, 2025

People’s United Methodist Church (PUMC) in Oregon, Wisconsin, is part of a growing cohort of faith communities across the country turning to solar energy with stewardship and savings in mind.

In 2023, the congregation installed a 77.8-kilowatt solar array on their church and a separate 7.6-kilowatt array on their parsonage.

“Our church has been community-oriented as long as I’ve been there,” said Paul Smith, a member of more than 20 years who helped shepherd the project. “So it was not a big leap, not a big change in philosophy to think about doing something like a solar installation.” Paul is also a solar homeowner. Having experienced the benefits of producing his own energy firsthand, he knew solar would serve the church’s mission and its finances.

The initial cost of the systems was $145,000. To finance them, the church pulled together a coalition of support. They secured grants from Solar for Good, a joint initiative by RENEW Wisconsin and the Couillard Foundation, rebates from Focus on Energy, a state-sponsored program, and federal funding through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Direct Pay provision, which will cover 30% of the project costs. These incentives lowered PUMC’s cost to go solar by $68,000. Funds raised by the congregation and matched by a generous bequest left to the church covered the remaining amount.

The solar installations cover 64% of the church’s electricity needs and all of the parsonage’s requirements. By powering their facilities with distributed renewable energy, PUMC will lower their operating costs and align their energy usage with their stewardship values, setting an example for their community.