Congregation Beth Israel in Media referred to as its set up of a 26 kilowatt photo voltaic panel array on the roof a veritable competition of lights.
The dedication ceremony is Dec. 18 at 5 p.m. on the primary night time of Hanukkah on the synagogue, 542 S. New Middletown Street.
The set up of the photo voltaic array displays practically a decade of greening and sustainability work completed on the synagogue, in line with a press launch.
That work led to a inexperienced synagogue certification from Greenfaith, a grassroots, multi-faith motion for the local weather, with important efforts to scale back heating and electrical energy use, permitting the synagogue to scale back its carbon emissions in half, the press launch added.
“This Hannukah we not solely rejoice our individuals’s first miracle of power effectivity the place the sunshine lasted eight occasions so long as anticipated, however we additionally dedicate ourselves to the essential work of making communities of Jewishness that’s extra sustainable and aligned with our Jewish values of being Shomrei Adama, caretakers of the land,” stated Rabbi Nathan Martin.
The synagogue stated the photo voltaic mission was the results of an initiative by a devoted group of congregants who labored with Photo voltaic States, a Philadelphia-based photo voltaic installer, to put in an array anticipated which might meet a lot of the synagogue’s electrical wants generated from the 61-panel array.
“As Jews, we’re referred to as to be stewards of creation, and our hope is that the essential work we do by greening our dwelling group will affect religion communities in Delaware County and past,” stated Martin.
With the passage of the Inflation Discount Act, synagogues and different nonprofits at the moment are eligible for a 30% direct fee for putting in photo voltaic expertise, making it a extra viable and enticing possibility. for different religion communities, the congregation added.
