Green Sanctuary Resources for you
UUSL is a Green Sanctuary Congregation
UUSL has earned Green Sanctuary Certification fron the national Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA). We share ideas and information for environmental and social justice advocacy, as well as worship, education and sustainable living via our group on the UUSL Facebook page.
Our Vision: A world that we help make more sustainable, safe, healthy, and just, through our UUSL Green Sanctuary Actions, for all humanity, including p0resent and future generations, and the whole of the interconnected web of life.
Our Mission: In collaboration with other organizations and communities, to achieve Our Vision, by accomplishing activities to address Climate Change, Water Quality, and other Critical Environmental and Social Justice issues.
Green Sanctuary
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 measurable results.
The most important outcome is self-sufficiency. From January through October 2025, the system produced 8.9 MWh of electricity while the church used 5.0 MWh. Nearly half of that usage—2.3 MWh—came directly from the panels at the moment it was needed. The rest was supplied by the grid when the sun wasn’t available. Even so, the system generated more than we used, sending 6.6 MWh back to the grid and ending with a net export of 3.9 MWh.
In practical terms, we produced almost twice the energy we consumed over that period.
That annual view is strong. The monthly data shows the nuance.
In February 2026, a low-sun winter month, the system still covered 29% of total energy use directly from solar—our baseline self-sufficiency in difficult conditions. During peak usage windows, the results were better:
· 60% self-sufficiency during meeting hours
· ~68% on Sunday mornings, when the building is most active
· Near zero during evening hours, which reflects timing, not system limits
This highlights how the system behaves:
· Summer and shoulder seasons: high production, strong surplus, net exporter
· Winter: partial self-sufficiency, still meaningful cost and emission reduction
· Daytime alignment matters more than total production
Financially, the system is already doing what it was intended to do.
In February alone:
· Solar generation offset roughly $99 in electricity costs
· Reduced net grid cost from ~$143 to ~$44
That pattern scales significantly in higher-production months.
What This Means
· The church has moved from 100% grid dependence to partial and often majority self-sufficiency
· Over the year, it is effectively net-positive in energy
· The system reduces both cost volatility and carbon impact
· Real performance aligns with, and in some cases exceeds, expectations.
Be sure to check out the graphic below.
This is no longer a proposal or projection. It is a functioning system with real data, demonstrating what solar can deliver in New Hampshire conditions.
Green Sanctuary
A Working System — and What It’s Delivering
How to Read the Graphic
The chart above shows three things:
· Production vs. consumption over time
· Energy flows (used on-site vs exported vs imported)
· Self-sufficiency as a measurable KPI, not an abstract goal
This is no longer a proposal or projection. It is a functioning system with real data, demonstrating what solar can deliver in New Hampshire conditions.
Soft Plastics collections
Dear Community,
Combination soft plastics/styrofoam recycling collection .... Weather permitting.
Saturday May 2 from 11:00am- 1:00pm
UUSL Curbside
We are pleased and proud that your Community saved from the landfills some 1100 pounds of soft plastics at our last collection. All that is saved for collection is converted into composite decking and furniture.
Save Earth in any small way you personally can and celebrate Earth Day every day! Thank you!
Green Sanctuary
UUSL Green sanctuary News
UUSL Green Sanctuary Input
First Thought:
- “Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” (Robert Louis Stevenson)
What Do People think about Climate Change? (excerpts from Yale Program on Climate Change)
- About half of Americans are worried about extreme heat.
- 48% of Americans are at least “moderately worried” that their local area might be harmed by extreme heat. That worry is rising, as are worries about related health risks:
- From October 2014 to December 2024, the percentage of Americans who think that heat stroke caused by extreme heat waves will become more common in their community over the next 10 years as a result of global warming has tripled
- Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) think global warming is affecting extreme heat in the U.S. at least "some”.
- Despite high confidence among climate scientists that global warming is contributing to more frequent and severe heat waves, 24% of Americans surprisingly either think global warming is not affecting extreme heat (12%) or say they don't know (12%)
- When you get a political population absolutely pushing for protection, policymakers will always listen to what their populations have to say,” Scholey said. “Public pressure leads to change. In a way, that’s always been my inspiration: to get public understanding, public desire to bring about change.
Closing Thought
- What Can We Do? Communicate. “In nature's economy the currency is not money, it is life. We cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around us. What we do makes a difference, and we have to decide what kind of difference we want to make. When we communicate concern for the climate, we plant seeds of peace and seeds of hope.” (Excerpt from several sources)
"No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens." -Michelle Obama
Closing Thought from our Green Sanctuary News 3/15/24
Background
About the UUA Green Sanctuary Certification Program and the UUSL Action Plan
The UUA Green Sanctuary Certification Program provides requirements and a path for congregations to address climate change and environmental justice. Congregations that complete the program are accredited in recognition of their service and dedication to the earth and future generations.
As prescribed by the UUA Green Sanctuary Guidelines, our UUSL Green Sanctuary Certification Action Plan included an in-depth environmental evaluation of our sanctuary and organization as well as activities related to four specific areas;
- Environmental Justice: Activities in solidarity with Front Line (Vulnerable) Communities, which may be most affected by Climate Change
- Worship and Celebration: Activities enabling us to stay connected to each other and to celebrate work accomplished
- Religious Education: Activities to inform, while inspiring us to keep working toward our goal of just and sustainable practices
- Sustainable Living: Activities to treat the world more gently by using fewer resources and being mindful of the choices we make
Congratulations on our Green Sanctuary Status
We are active in our community
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
Our congregation has worked together to earn the Designation of "Green Sanctuary" from the UU Church.
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
We thank Roger and Inez Andrews and countless subcommittee leaders and members for their tireless work toward this goal.
Working towards change
Rev. Judith with Roger and Inez Andrews
Working towards change
We are taking an active role to help make a world that is sustainable, safe, and just for all humanity, including present and future generations, and the whole of the interconnected web of life.