Located on the 19th block of West Wisconsin Avenue, Redeemer Lutheran Church has taken steps to modernize their congregation by being more conscious towards the effects their church has on the environment. They have installed over 60 solar panels that sit on top of the church’s roof.
Redeemer Lutheran Church recently received a $15,000 “Solar for Good” grant to cover the cost of installing solar panels on the roof of the church. The grant was awarded to the church through RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that promotes renewable energy throughout Wisconsin. According to Reverend Lisa Bates-Froiland, “They are going to produce just over half of the church’s energy usage annually. They will cut the annual bill by about 50%.”
The solar panels offer the church the opportunity to allocate funds towards different church initiatives in the long run. “If we can save money by not spending as much on energy, we can have more resources for a program such as the noon run meal”.
The solar panels represent the church’s initiative to address climate change. Bates-Froiland says that a lack of consensus holds people back from addressing climate change. Bates-Froiland says “Small congregations like ours do what we can and hope to inspire similar efforts.”
The church has also been maintaining several bee-hives on the roof of the church. The aim of this project is to collect adequate amounts of pollen for the tower garden that is also located on the roof of the congregation, while also collecting honey. There is a large beehive mural that represents these beehives on the back of the church.
