Bill McNeil explains the installation of solar panels at New Garden / November 2020

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=709053433033438

Solar Panel Installation / September 2020

   

 

 

Installing a New Roof / September 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solar+ Projects Moving Forward / August 12, 2020 / Many thanks to those of you who have contributed or pledged so generously to our Solar+ Project! Besides adding solar power on the Meeting house roof, we will make a significant gift to Community Housing Solutions to improve the energy efficiency of homes of low-income families. We will reduce our community’s dependence on carbon based fuels! There is still time to make a donation to this project, but we expect to wrap up active fundraising in the next two weeks.

We know that pledges will continue to be fulfilled for a while. You can donate online at the New Garden website DONATE, or use the pledge form found HERE if you prefer to make your donation over the next six months. We ask that this donation be in addition to your planned support of New Garden’s annual operations. Solar+ Project Committee

 

 

 

Help Families Save Energy and Money with New Garden Friends Meeting SOLAR+ Project / July 5, 2020 / One of the measures of a good community is how it cares for others.

As New Garden plans to install solar panels to cut our power bills, the Solar+ Project will also have an energy-saving outreach partnership with Community Housing Solutions (CHS) to help low income families reduce their power bills. Every year CHS repairs the homes of over 25 homeowners. With our partnership, CHS will install insulation and other weatherization measures, saving families up to 25% of their energy bills. On average, it costs about $1,500 to make each CHS-client’s home energy-efficient.

As part of the Solar+ Project, we want to raise enough funds to benefit at least 20 families. After the Meeting begins realizing energy savings from its solar panels, a portion of the annual power-bill savings may be used to continue the outreach effort and help more families.

With this energy-saving outreach the Meeting will help others, help ourselves, and help the environment.

You can learn more about the Solar+ Project at ngfm.org and Community Housing Solutions at http://chshousing.org.

Look for more news about an on-line event on Thursday evening, July 16 to inform the New Garden Meeting community about the Solar+ Project, featuring Gene Brown, director of Community Housing Solutions, and Usman Noor, owner of 8M Solar.

Bill McNeil, member New Garden Solar+ Team

 

Why Solar Now? / June 28, 2020 / I’m excited about New Garden’s Solar+ Project! Soon, we’ll be able to generate enough electricity to cover 3/4 of the Meeting’s power – using the clean power of the sun and panels warranted for 30 years. This is one small contribution to using nonpolluting renewal energy – a critical part of reducing the impact of climate change.

The finances are important to me too. Our investment of $52,825 for 121 panels will reduce payments for electricity by over $6,300 per year. In 30 years, we’ll save $190,457 (assumes 2.4% annual energy rate increases). In only nine years, our savings will have covered the cost of the system. The Internal Rate of Return is 13.8%, a sound financial investment. For more technical and financial details, check out the proposal of 8MSolar found at this link:https://tinyurl.com/y8nn7vy3

The Solar+ Project will cost $114,000 in total. That’s about $1000/panel and includes Meeting’s donation to Community Housing Solutions. We are raising funds from Meeting members during June and July. Please consider sponsoring a panel or more if you can. Any contributions will help. To contribute find the donation form here.

Jean Pudlo, member New Garden Solar+ Team

 

 

Solar+ Project Update / June 21, 2020 / New Garden’s Energy Team is excited to report that monthly meeting approved the Solar Energy + Outreach Project. This is a great opportunity to reduce our impact on Earth’s resources and save operating costs for the Meetinghouse at the same time. (We anticipate that this solar power will provide about three-quarters of our electricity use.) As Quakers, our testimony of Stewardship calls upon us to care for the Earth, its environment and changing climate as a critical part of our individual and community responsibility to each other and to future generations. To further increase our impact, this project includes a component related to another of our testimonies – that of benefiting the larger Community. We will partner with Community Housing Solutions, which will help low-income homeowners in Greensboro reduce their energy bills by making energy-saving improvements.

With enough funds and pledges in hand, we plan to begin solar panel installation no later than September. Following this, we will provide a grant to Community Housing Solutions for their work.

We got a great start with the $1000 raised at the Songs of Hope and Courage Concert in March, thanks to many New Gardeners and others in Greensboro. The total needed for this project is $114,000. We have received over $30,000 in contributions and pledges thus far, and hope you will join us in making a donation of your own. (Please remember to maintain your support for the general fund; this project is outside of the Meeting’s budget.) For more information on the project and ways to contribute, check our website or contact Bill McNeil ([email protected]; 919-622-3303).

Please download Solar+ Project Pledge and email to [email protected], or mail to New Garden Friends Meeting, 801 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.

You can also make an online donation here. Please note Solar+ Project in the online comments.

Thank you! – Kate Hood Seel

 

Solar+ Project News / On June 7, 2020 New Garden Monthly Meeting has approved a plan to install solar panels on the Meetinghouse roof, which will save up to 75% on our energy bills.  This puts the Quaker testimony of Stewardship into practice, helping benefit the environment and confront climate change.

While helping ourselves, an energy-saving outreach will help lower income families in our community reduce their energy bills. With this outreach program New Garden will fund energy-efficiency improvements in homes selected by Community Housing Solutions for repairs.

For more information on the Solar+ Energy Project contact Bill McNeil at [email protected] or (919) 622-3303.

WE NEED YOUR HELP.

Please download Solar+ Project Pledge Form and email to [email protected], or mail to New Garden Friends Meeting, 801 New Garden Road, Greensboro, NC 27410.

You can also make an online donation here. Please note Solar+ Project in the online comments.

 

SOLAR+ENERGY Project Update / June 7 Monthly Meeting for Business / PROPOSAL: Install solar energy for New Garden Friends Meeting and provide energy relief for local low-income homeowners.

STEWARDSHIP: Solar power generation to reduce fossil fuel use and energy costs.

COMMUNITY: A donation to Community Housing Solutions for energy conservation projects for local low-income homeowners.

Please join Meeting for Business on 6/7/20 @ 1pm to discuss this proposal.

 

 

 

 

New Garden Solar Energy+ Project Update / April 3, 2020 / New Garden Meeting’s solar working team has made good progress on our Solar+ Energy Saving Project.

  • Our team is considering proposals from three firms for installing solar panels on the Meetinghouse. Projected energy savings range from 65-95% of the Meeting’s annual electricity bills.
  • We have secured a commitment from Duke Energy for a rebate of up to $32,400, covering about 36-45% of the solar installation’s cost.
  • While helping New Garden Meeting reduce our energy bills, we also want to help Greensboro families reduce their energy bills. We are considering partnering with Community Housing Solutions to help families make their homes more energy efficient.

Our Solar+ Energy Savings Project will help fulfill the Quaker testimony on stewardship for the earth with practical actions to confront the climate emergency facing us all.   We plan to have details to present to the New Garden Meeting community in early May.

If you want to help move this energy-saving project forward or if you have ideas for the project, contact Bill McNeil at [email protected] or Ann Macmaster at  [email protected].

 

Solar Energy Project / March 9, 2020 / New Garden Friends Meeting is forming a working group to explore the costs and benefits of installing solar panels on the Meetinghouse. We are also considering ways to help families in the community reduce energy costs and make their homes more energy efficient. Both will help us stand up to the climate emergency in very practical ways. Both will save money and save the planet. But both will require funds to realize these savings. Do you want to help create this energy-saving project? If you have ideas for this project or want to join the working group, contact: (Bill McNeil), Jean Pudlo or Roger Seel.