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Green Sanctuary — Solar Update (replaces the "A Working System" section, last updated for Jan–Oct 2025 data)

A Working System — and What It's Delivering

This project began with a simple goal: reduce emissions and take control of our energy costs. In 2023, the congregation approved a combined solar and mini-split system designed to match our full electrical needs.

It is now built, operating, and producing a full year of measurable results.

From July 21, 2025 through July 21, 2026, the system produced 10,330 kWh of electricity while the church used 8,210 kWh — the array generated 126% of everything the building consumed. About 3,100 kWh of that usage came directly from the panels at the moment it was needed. The rest was supplied by the grid when the sun wasn't available. The system sent 7,232 kWh back to the grid and drew 5,112 kWh from it, ending the year as a net exporter of 2,120 kWh.

The most important outcome is still self-sufficiency — the share of our electricity that comes directly from the sun at the moment we use it, not just an annual production tally. Over the full year, that figure is 37.7%. During Sunday morning service specifically — 9am to noon, when the building is busiest — solar covered 67% of what we used, nearly double the rate for the rest of the week (36%). That gap is the heart of the story: the system isn't just producing a lot of power in the abstract, it's producing power when the congregation is actually here.

The year also shows the seasonal rhythm you'd expect in New Hampshire:

· Summer months (Jun–Sep): self-sufficiency in the high 50s to low 60s (%), strong net exporter

· Shoulder seasons (Apr–May, Oct): self-sufficiency in the 40s (%)

· Winter (Nov–Jan): self-sufficiency drops to a low of 19% in December — short days and a low sun angle limit direct solar use, even though the system still meaningfully reduces the bill

Financially, the system continues to do what it was intended to do. Using a rate of $0.1591/kWh — this year refined from an actual Eversource bill's line-by-line charges (supply, distribution, transmission, and related delivery charges), rather than a round-number estimate — the system created an estimated $1,644 in energy value over the year: about $493 from electricity used on-site and $1,151 in export credit.

What's new since our last update

· We now have a full 12 months of data for the first time, instead of a partial-year snapshot — this is the first report that shows the complete seasonal cycle, low winter month included.

· The Sunday-morning result holds up: 67% self-sufficiency during service matches what a shorter sample suggested last fall, now confirmed across an entire year rather than a few months.

· Self-sufficiency for the year (37.7%) is close to, and slightly below, last calendar year's figure (39.9%) — expected, since this year's window includes a full winter rather than a partial one. Not a red flag, just a more complete picture.

· The dollar-value estimate is now grounded in an actual utility bill's rate structure instead of a flat assumption, so it's a more defensible number going forward.

What This Means

· The church has moved from 100% grid dependence to partial, and during Sunday service, majority self-sufficiency

· Over a full year, the system is net-positive in energy, generating more than a quarter more than we use

· Solar shows up exactly when it matters most — Sunday mornings — which is the clearest evidence that this system is delivering for the congregation, not just for the utility meter

· Winter remains the honest limiting case: real savings, but well below summer performance, which is physics, not a system problem

This is no longer a proposal, a projection, or a partial-year sample. It is a functioning system with a full year of real data, demonstrating what solar can deliver in New Hampshire conditions.

How to Read the Graphic

The chart above shows three things:

· Production vs. consumption over time, month by month across a full year

· Energy flows — used on-site vs. exported vs. imported

· Self-sufficiency as a measurable KPI, both overall and specifically during Sunday service, not an abstract goal

Methodology note (for anyone who wants the detail): self-sufficiency is the share of total electricity use supplied directly by solar at the moment it's needed. Dollar values assume $0.1591/kWh, applied the same way to on-site use and grid export credit, derived from a Feb 2026 Eversource bill; fixed monthly and demand charges are not reduced by solar and are excluded. The reporting window runs Jul 21, 2025 to Jul 21, 2026 based on the most recent data export.