Let There Be Light: Congressman Deluzio Tours Rooftop Solar Array at Mt. Lebanon’s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Attendees used Tax Day 2024 to highlight clean energy incentives and tax rebates available in Inflation Reduction Act 

MT. LEBANON, PA – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) joined PennEnvironment and religious leaders at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church today in Mt. Lebanon, Allegheny County to tour the rooftop solar panels that the church installed.  

Houses of worship across Pennsylvania and the nation are increasingly powered by the sun, thanks in part to new federal clean energy tax credits from the federal Inflation Reduction Act. Held on Tax Day 2024 (April 15th), the event at St. Paul’s was also used to highlight renewable and clean energy tax incentives that are available through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for residents, businesses, and non-profit groups. The IRA was passed into law by Congressional Democrats and signed by President Biden in August 2022. 

“It was great to tour St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Lebanon today and learn more about their congregation’s transition to solar energy,” said Rep. Deluzio. “Thanks to investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s easier than ever for houses of worship and people across Western PA to lower energy bills and cut carbon emissions at the same time.”

“There’s never been a better time for houses of worship to use the power of the sun to electrify their congregations,” said David Masur, Executive Director for PennEnvironment. “Plentiful sunshine and generous solar incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act are here. Now is a critical time for more congregations in Pennsylvania just need to take advantage of them.”

Solar energy is abundant, efficient, and increasingly affordable, and houses of worship often are great candidates for rooftop solar panels. While people may frequent these buildings less during the week, their panels will still generate power that churches can sell back to utility companies. In June 2019, St. Paul’s was the first church in southwestern Pennsylvania to install its own on-site solar panels. 

The congregation now has fifty-one solar panels installed on the flat surface of the roof on the church’s education wing, which affords daylong exposure to the sun’s path east to west. Prior to switching to solar power in 2019, St. Paul’s monthly electric bill ranged from $1,000 to $1,3000.  The first full month of solar usage saw the amount of purchased electricity reduced nearly 70%. During some months, the church produces all of its electricity from its solar panels and has no bill for electricity. The building is a three-story structure that includes a 400+ seat sanctuary, a nursery school serving 200 children, church offices, and meeting rooms. It is in use seven days a week, usually for more than 12 hours a day.

“Our installation of solar not only made financial sense, it was rooted in our promise when we were baptized to cherish and protect all of God’s creation,” said the Rev. Noah H. Evans, the rector (senior priest) at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

Pennsylvania is currently ranked 26th in the nation for solar power. Beyond the financial benefits, solar panels increase a community’s energy resilience during extreme weather events. Solar panels and batteries can be independent from the grid, meaning the lights stay on during power outages–a quality especially critical for houses of worship that provide shelter during emergencies. 

Previously, places of worship and other nonprofits were unable to directly take advantage of federal tax credits to finance the installation of solar panels. Now, federal incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act can cover 30 percent or more of the cost of going solar through a new “direct pay” credit, as detailed in a guide from PennEnvironment Research & Policy Center.

More photos from the event available here. 

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