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by John Franklin
YAKIMA, Wash. — Recently, the St. Michael’s Church on Naches Avenue placed hundreds of solar panels on their roof.
“We've just completed the installation of 134 panels and a battery backup system," said David Hacker, the Priest of the Church.
The solar panels on the roof of the church will ensure that operating costs are lower, and that the church is greener.
“This community is a highly impacted area for pollution," Hacker said. "We are also impacting our community around us with cleaner air and reducing some of those carbon realities.”
They will also be able to keep the lights on using their own harvested energy in case the power goes out.
“The power goes down, those work, that work can continue and the freezers in our pantry will continue and people will be able to continue to meet here," Hacker said. "We'll be able to continue to feed people."
The church is also hoping to be an area that people can go to during extreme heat or freezing temperatures.
“We're looking for our ability to also be resiliency hub when it gets really hot outside, when it gets really cold, when people's electricity in their own homes go down," Hacker said. "St. Michael's will still be able to operate and be here and be able to provide space for people to get out of the cold or out of the heat.”
They were able to complete this project with funds from the Climate Commitment Act.
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