St. Thomas More Parish has a solar cell-a-bration

Friday, Jun. 06, 2014

SANDY – On Sunday, June 1, the Solar Project of Saint Thomas More Catholic Church was dedicated.

St. Thomas More is the first Catholic church in Utah to use solar energy; the decision to convert came about in 2012 as the Capital Campaign Committee of the parish was looking for innovative ways to pay the parish debts and they were approached by the Interfaith Synergy Power group, said Greg Hoepfner, who is a member of the committee. 

“The next step was to send the request to Rocky Mountain Power for a grant from the Blue Sky Program,” said Larry Page, parishioner and Capital Campaign Committee member.

The request to Rocky Mountain Power was sent in April 2013.

One year later Synergy Power installed the system, which is now fully operational.

The solar power system project at St. Thomas More has several parts: there are 100 solar panels on the roof of the parish offices building, an invertor that turns the energy to electricity and  a monitor that shows the process in numbers and graphics.

The cost was $82,500, “and the parish had to invest nothing,” said Hoepfner, adding that the solar panels have a lifespan of up to 25 years, “so we have no maintenance for that period of time.”

Father Paul J. McCarthy, parochial vicar of St. Thomas More, led the dedication prayer, giving thanks “for the sustainable living program through the solar power system.”

St. Thomas More is one of 104 communities that the Blue Sky Program has helped thus far, said Alene Bentley from Rocky Mountain Power Blue Sky Program, which was established over a decade ago. “Protecting the environment is very important and with this cost-effective program that is possible.”

“I can’t tell you how Synergy Power is pleased with St. Thomas More; we have helped a couple of non profits with their solar power systems,” said Chad Hofheins from Synergy Power Inc, which was responsible for the installation of the Grid Tie and Off Grid energy systems at the parish.