Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ now serves as a beacon of clean energy education and resilience, with hopes of providing critical services during electrical outages, heatwaves, or unhealthy air quality days.
Compton, California – Saturday, June 29 — Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ, known as "The Brook," in collaboration with RE-volv and California Interfaith Power & Light (CIPL), celebrated the commissioning of their new 12-kW rooftop solar and upcoming battery storage installation. The church's move to adopt solar energy aims to alleviate financial strains, build community resilience, and bolster local clean energy projects and advocacy efforts.
The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a speaking program featuring remarks from Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, and a resiliency workshop. The Mayor presented two awards, recognizing The Brook and Ms. Linda Cleveland, long-time community activist and church secretary, for their environmental leadership and contributions.
"Since The Brook church uniquely serves three neighboring communities, it is the perfect home base to spread awareness, educate, and accelerate local clean energy adoption," said Jacquelyn Badejo, Chair of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission.
"This is a significant moment for our community and for the future of Compton," said Mayor Emma Sharif during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Leticia Vasquez Wilson, Central Basin Water Board Director, added: "The installation of solar panels at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ represents more than just a move towards renewable energy — it represents hope, resilience, and progress for our community."
With solar energy, the church is set to save $184,033 on electricity costs over the next 20 years, thanks in part to the direct pay provision available through the Inflation Reduction Act. A grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation supported RE-volv bringing their innovative solar finance model to The Brook, allowing them to go solar for zero down and start saving on their energy bills on day one. Additionally, their solar system will avoid emitting 646,378 lbs of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system.
"The solar installation at the Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ is an excellent example of how the Biden-Harris Administration is helping community-based institutions, especially in communities of color, make clean energy upgrades," said Ronald Newman, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
"Recent data suggests that when a nonprofit or house of worship goes solar, you can expect up to 80 residences in the area to follow suit over the next five years," said Andreas Karelas, Executive Director of RE-volv.
"The church's new solar system will lower their carbon emissions and help save money, while building the foundation for a resilience hub in Compton," said Bekah Estrada, Southern California Director of California Interfaith Power & Light.
"Accessing the direct pay provision from the IRA is a game-changer for non-profits and community organizations to be able to access affordable clean energy solutions," said John Moon, senior vice president and sustainability philanthropy lead for Wells Fargo.