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“We’ve saved $7,219 from what our bill was three years ago.”
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In the face of rising energy costs and more frequent power outages, homeowners, businesses, and now congregations alike are getting privy to the power of clean energy upgrades. 
Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, shared how a solar panel upgrade has resulted in big savings on annual energy costs. 
According to CBS 2 Iowa, the church has been generating its own energy since installing a solar panel array in 2024. Rob Hogg, chair of the church’s solar committee, explained that two years later, the results have been hard to believe. 
“Over this calendar year … we’ve saved $7,219 from what our bill was three years ago before we did this system,” Hogg told the publication. 
Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers in your area.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
The monthly power bills tell an even more dramatic story. Hogg noted that before the solar installation, the church’s electricity bills could reach $800 a month. But in January 2026, the bill dropped to just $140, which Hogg said is “about as low as we can go because of the various charges for being connected to Alliant’s system.”
That equates to an over 80% reduction in monthly energy costs. 
These savings are not rare. In fact, the solar experts at EnergySage estimate that some homeowners can see up to six figures in bill savings over the lifetime of a solar panel upgrade. To see how solar can curb rising power bills and make your home’s energy more secure, connect with EnergySage for quick installation estimates. 
On the church grounds, the benefits go further than monthly bill savings. Underneath the ground-mounted solar panels, the congregation has used the covered space to grow fresh produce to give to local food banks. 
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Want to go solar but not sure who to trust? EnergySage has your back with free and transparent quotes from fully vetted providers that can help you save as much as $10k on installation.
To get started, just answer a few questions about your home — no phone number required. Within a day or two, EnergySage will email you the best local options for your needs, and their expert advisers can help you compare quotes and pick a winner.
Pairing solar with agriculture is called agrivoltaics, and it is quickly becoming a popular pairing that offers surprising benefits to local pollinators and plant life. 
“We’re looking at onions, carrots, beets, radishes, things like that, and hopefully we’ll be able to provide some more food for our local food pantries,” Hogg told CBS 2. 
If this testimony has you curious about solar, EnergySage can help you save up to $10,000 on the cost of purchasing and installing panels. 
EnergySage even offers a helpful mapping tool that shows the average cost of solar in your area, along with local incentives and rebates. That ensures you can get the best deal based on your home and budget. 
💡Go deep on the latest news and trends shaping the residential solar landscape
The benefits of solar get even better if you opt to pair your panels with a battery backup system. A home energy storage system can help you avoid peak electricity rates, keep the lights on during outages, or even go off-grid entirely. 
To learn more about home battery backups, check out EnergySage’s free battery resources. 
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© 2025 THE COOL DOWN COMPANY. All Rights Reserved. Do not sell or share my personal information. Reach us at hello@thecooldown.com.

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