Volunteer With
Creation Care
Help Us Care for God’s Creation
As Episcopalians, we are called to loving formation, liberating advocacy, and life-giving conservation to care for God’s creation.
Embracing environmental stewardship to protect our planet.
Join a new Ministry of parishioners who have come together to carry out the biblical mandate to be stewards of God’s creation! Meeting monthly via Zoom, this group has joined with the Building and Grounds Committee to explore the installation of solar panels, are working with staff to expand recycling, and have explored tree planting partnerships in Los Angeles’ under-canopied area.
Solar Power at All Saints’
Learn more about efforts to bring solar power to All Saints’ Beverly Hills via solar panels.
Proposal
To install solar panels on the church buildings.
See the PowerPoint presentation of the Creation Care Ministry’s overview of the proposal
See the PowerPoint presentation proposal from Sunistics for solar panels
A Theological/Stewardship Perspective
From one perspective, installing solar panels reflects our commitment to be good stewards of All Saints and God’s creation through the use of alternative energy. The proposed installation of solar panels is one of the parishioner-led Creation Care ministry’s proposals towards this end.
Alternatively, not altering the roofs via solar installation can also be considered good stewardship of our All Saints’ parish by preserving the aesthetic and historic integrity of our 100 year old church campus and buildings as a place of worship for future generations.
Additionally, the existing Spanish tiles hold sentimental and spiritual value as the All Saints’ congregation wrote prayers for the church on the backside of the tiles of the roof, most of which will be removed in the installation of the solar panels.
Environmental Perspective
Our carbon footprint is equal to 106,134 pounds of CO2. Some estimates suggest this much CO2 could be offset by planting 206,323 trees.
Financial Perspective
The upfront costs for solar panels is quoted at $366,977. The remaining cost after 1 year is expected to be either $125,186or $271,977, depending upon if All Saints qualifies for a 40% (i.e. $146,791) federal refund that would be issued 1 year after installation.
The intention is for 100% of the remaining cost to be covered by parishioner pledges. The remaining cost will not be funded by the church’s budget.
Solar panels would ostensibly reduce our electricity expenses by approximately $30,000 per year. During the panels’ 25 year life span, this would be a savings to All Saints of $750,000 without regard to yearly maintenance costs or other incidental expenses.
Appearance/Aesthetics Perspective
The overhang areas of the roofs will remain covered by the Spanish tiles. The solar panels would be visible from the street view of the church from Santa Monica Blvd.
Solar panels would not be visible from within the courtyard or from Camden Drive looking toward the courtyard.
Here is what the roof would look like from across Santa Monica Boulevard: