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Bedford Presbyterian describes 126‑panel solar project, nine‑year payback and new community uses
Summary
Bedford Presbyterian Church presented results from its May 2025 126‑panel solar installation, reporting roughly 73,565 kWh produced May–Dec 2025, reduced demand charges, a projected ~97,000 kWh per year output and an anticipated nine‑year payback that is already funding expanded community services.
Bedford Presbyterian Church officials told the Bedford Energy Commission on Jan. 22 that a congregation‑led solar and efficiency effort has cut utility costs and freed funds for community programs.
Beth Evertz, a member of the church's Green Team, opened the presentation and described the congregation's campaign and goals. Brian Martell, one of the project leads, said the group installed 126 panels in May 2025 and ran an energy‑audit and efficiency program before and after installation to target demand charges and peak loads.
Commissioners heard the technical and financial details: the presenters reported 73,565 kilowatt‑hours produced between May and December 2025 and projected roughly 97,000 kWh a year once annualized. The church team said the project reduced peak demand charges by about half in typical months and that a combination of federal tax credits, state rebates and other savings equal roughly $115,000 in offsets applied to capital costs. The presenters estimated a nine‑year payback period and forecast two decades of net benefit after that.
The team described operational changes made before and after the array went online: an eGauge monitoring system, targeted submetering to identify high draws (the water‑heater and dishwasher were singled out), replacement of an electric resistance hot‑water heater with a hybrid unit to eliminate short power spikes, LED retrofits and conversion of oil heating to heat pumps with oil retained as a backup for extreme cold.
Presenters also said the church uses a broker (Knollwood Energy) to sell renewable energy certificates (RECs) and that at recent market prices they expect REC revenue of roughly $3,000 a year, while noting the commission and town could expect larger REC sales if the town follows a similar model. Questions from commissioners covered installer selection (Revision Energy), costs of monitoring equipment (roughly $800–$1,200 for the monitoring hardware and CTs), the possibility of batteries (evaluated but not cost‑effective in the near term) and whether the project would have been viable without tax credits (the team said it would, but payback would be longer).
The presentation closed with the church describing how savings have already enabled expanded pantry refrigeration, a monthly senior luncheon and other outreach programs. The commission thanked the presenters and asked them to return when they have a full 12 months of comparative data.
The commission did not take any formal action on the presentation; it instead accepted the update and invited continued data sharing.
