Wellesley Village Church celebrated God’s creation with an unveiling ceremony at 2 Central St. that marked the installation of solar panels on the Wellesley Square historic church’s roof. When complete the system should provide close to half of its current electrical usage. The roof preparation and installation will take approximately six weeks to complete. It is estimated that the project will wrap-up on May 25.

There is no cost to the church for the installation of solar panels, and the church does not own the panels. They contract with a solar provider (SunBug) and an investor. The agreement allows for the use of the roof, and Village Church contracts with the investor to purchase discounted electricity from the solar system.

At the end of year six, the church may buy the system at 50% of the original cost. At the end of year 15, they can buy the system at 20%. Once the church owns the system, all the financial and environmental benefits flow to the church.

The unveiling ceremony was held at the edge of the church’s graveyard, where Wellesley Village Church’s original Puritan parishioners were present in spirit. Photo credit, Village Church.

The panels will be visible from the Church and Washington Street side of the building. The slate roof presents some challenges which require a different approach to installation. The slate shingles are removed and/or cut to accommodate the solar racks upon which the panels will rest. SunBug is responsible for any slate shingles damaged as a result of the installation.