Church installs solar panels

When linemen for Kansas City Power and Light Co. installed and tested a "net meter" at the United Methodist Church in Nevada on Tuesday, they completed a solar power project that had taken several months of work.

The "net meter" is used to measure the energy consumed by the church as well as the excess energy that is delivered from the solar system back to KCP&L's power grid. The power company has to pay for that surplus generated by the solar system.

Tom Taylor, a member of the church's committee responsible for the project, said the project took several months of researching, contracting and construction. Taylor added "now was the time" to do the project because of rising energy prices and the rebate program offered by KCP&L.

Taylor said the church decided to use a system that will generate 25,000 watts of power.

Chris Rogge, director of solar design for Cromwell Environmental, the Lawrence, Kan., company chosen for the job, said the system will continuously power 250 100-watt light bulbs.

Imagine how many13-watt fluorescent bulbs it would power, he said, noting that the system will pay for itself in two to four years.

Taylor said the system would provide anywhere from one-quarter to one-third of the church's overall electricity needs. It should last at least 25 years and over that course of time, save the church $100,000 in electrical costs.

The solar panel array on the southern most roof of the church is made up of more than 100 individual panels and covers about 2,000-square-feet, Rogge said. That is a fairly large system but becoming more common he said.

Rogge said solar power projects with this capacity are more the rule now whereas enough power to heat water for a home used to be a normal project not too long ago. He said the rebate from KCP&L has "spurred growth" in the solar energy field.

Solar panel design and a reduction in costs and tax incentives have all helped to boost the industry. Rogge also said that as energy prices continue to rise, the cost savings of using solar energy will also rise.

For more information on solar energy call (785) 749-6020 or go to www.power tomorrow.com/.