By: Wayne Meyer—
“When the environmental and right thing to do merges with the practical and economical thing to do, then it truly is the time to take action,” according to Wayne Meyer, Coordinator of the “Green Team” at the Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church of Muncie. That’s the hopeful message to be shared at A Special SUNday: Solar Panels Above Us, a dedication celebration at the church on Sunday, February 28, beginning at 1:30 pm.
The object of this dedication is a new rooftop system comprised of 80 solar panels, capable of producing 20 kilowatts of power and reducing the church’s annual $6,000 electricity bill by more than 50%. The public is urged to come and join in this special event.
A banner in front of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie proclaims the good news of solar power. Photo provided.
The celebration portion of the February 28 event is scheduled for 1:30-2:15 pm, featuring brief remarks by three special guests.
The first speaker will be the Rev. Bruce Russell-Jayne, a retired UU minister from Indianapolis and also the volunteer treasurer of the Hoosier chapter of Interfaith Power and Light, a nation-wide “Religious Response to Global Warming.” Russell-Jayne is a former TVA engineer turned minister and environmentalist.
Another speaker will be Prof. Robert Koester, Director of the Center for Energy Research, Education, and Service (CERES) at Ball State University. Prof. Koester has been a leader involved in the addition of interdisciplinary environmental studies to the Ball State curriculum, the award-winning geothermal energy project on campus, “greening of the campus” programs nation-wide, and many related efforts.
The third speaker on February 28th will be Terry Whitt Bailey, Director of Community Development for the City of Muncie. The solar system at the UU church was made possible, in part, by a generous grant from SUN (Solar Uniting Neighbors), a program of the Indiana Association for Community Economic Development. Other SUN grant recipients in Muncie are the Muncie Public Library, the Youth Opportunity Center, and ecoREHAB.
“There seems to be a trend toward clean, renewable energy taking shape in Muncie,” says Meyer, referring also to the recent article in the Muncie Journal on “Cornerstone [Center for the Arts] to Hold Ribbon Cutting for New Solar Energy Initiative.” That event is scheduled for Monday, February 29, at 4:30 pm at the Center.
Back at the UU Church on February 28, after the celebration program and a break for coffee, sparkling juice, and SUN cookies, a workshop will be offered at 2:30-3:15 pm on “Technical and Financial Basics of Photovoltaic Solar Systems,” led by Phil Teague, Co-founder of Rectify LLC, Indianapolis.
Everyone is welcome to attend this Special SUNday.
Wayne Meyer is Coordinator of the “Green Team” at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie
765-282-0967
