Church of the Holy Comforter is pleased to announce the near completion of its new solar energy project, a significant step toward sustainability and environmental stewardship.
To celebrate this milestone, we will host a ribbon cutting and blessing ceremony outdoors on Sunday, October 27 at 11:15 a.m. in the lower church parking lot. We hope you will join us!
The event will feature remarks from church leaders, local officials, and representatives from the solar project partners. The ceremony will conclude with a blessing of the solar panels, symbolizing our commitment to renewable energy and care for creation.
Church of the Holy Comforter’s solar project includes the installation of 325 solar panels, which are expected to generate 216,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, producing all the electricity for its current usage. This initiative will not only reduce the church’s carbon footprint but also lower energy costs over the 30-to-50 year lifespan of the panels, allowing more resources to be directed toward community outreach programs.
“This is a substantial step towards our shared parish and diocesan goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions,” said the Reverend Jon Strand. “Our faith calls us to be stewards of the Earth, and this solar project is one of many efforts we are taking to care for this one place we call home. We are grateful to Victor and Joan Brown and the Brown family, our congregation and shared leadership, the Town of Vienna, Fairfax County, Dan Govan of Govan Builders, Bob Pegnato of Structural Solar, LLC, Ipsun Solar and many other community partners who have supported this endeavor. Also, the recent Inflation Reduction Act allowed us to do substantially more than we would have originally been able to accomplish alone.”
RSVP is helpful but not required.