In summer 2024, Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ in Compton, California, 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. Known in the community as “The Brook,” the congregation is uniquely made up of over 100 people from three neighboring South Central LA communities: Compton, Watts, and Willowbrook. 

The solar celebration included a speaking program featuring remarks from the 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. “This is a significant moment for our community and for the future of Compton,” explained the Mayor.

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, also known as elective pay, provision available through the Inflation Reduction Act. This provision allows tax-exempt organizations to receive 30% or more in cash back on the cost of a solar system. 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 allow The Brook to avoid emitting 646,378 lbs of CO2 emissions over the lifetime of the system, equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 350 acres of trees every year.

From left to right: Andreas Karelas, RE-volv, Executive Director, Mario Holten, Wells Fargo Foundation, Vice President of Philanthropy and Community Impact, Ms. Linda Cleveland, Church Secretary and long-time environmental activist, Jacquelyn Badejo, Chair of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office, City of Los Angeles, Pastor Ernest Garrett, Bekah Estrada, California Interfaith Power & Light, Southern California Director. Photo credit: RE-volv

The solar and soon-to-be battery storage system yields significant benefits beyond producing clean, affordable power. With support from CIPL, WATTSKANDA consulted the community during the resiliency workshop to customize their emergency services, including air filtration on unhealthy air quality days and air conditioning during heatwaves. The event also provided resources for residents, churches, and nonprofits interested in adopting solar energy, leveraging federal tax credits and funding opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act.

RE-volv, in partnership with Interfaith Power & Light (IPL) and Green the Church, with support from NREL's Solar Energy Innovation Network, recently developed an initiative to bring solar to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color)-led Houses of Worship. The Brook is the first completed project of the initiative.

The Ripple Impact of Solar 

Since the community celebration, The Brook has received an environmental leadership award from the Compton Mayor, inspired an additional five congregations in their area to consider solar energy, and launched an ongoing series of resiliency workshops in the community. This month, representatives from the Brook, RE-volv, and Interfaith Power & Light were invited to speak at a White House convening for faith leaders to share learnings from the successful project.

Congregation members gathered at the resiliency workshop to discuss how extreme heat affects them and how the church can best support them during heat waves.

Along with delivering 15+% electricity bill savings to the nonprofit, these solar projects also create an ongoing positive impact in the community. Recent research from Lawrence Berkeley Lab on the “seeding effect” of solar has shown that non-residential solar installations, including nonprofits and houses of worship, can inspire up to 80 homes in the community to go solar over the next five years. 

To learn more about the project, check out the press release or recent articles from RMI and Canary Media.