Wales’ first solar panelled church, St Joseph's Church in Cwmaman, Aberdare, will be officially opened by Dr Barry Morgan on Monday. It was fitted with 30 solar panels as part of £750,000 grant-funded refurbishment programme late last year and they have proved so efficient the church is planning to sell its excess electricity to the national grid.
The imaginative refurbishment has transformed St Joseph's Church. It is now a cornerstone of the local community and is in constant use all week. At the moment it is putting on a wood sculpture festival but is also used for Indian head massage classes, exhibitions and health living days. It has even converted its nave into an IT suite. Father David Way, the parish priest, says the changes have re-charged the congregation.
The work has been fantastically successful. People have literally been re-energised and there is much more of a buzz about our future now
he says.
People see the church as a meeting place, a neutral ground which isn't a club and doesn't exclude anyone. They also appreciate its tranquillity. We can offer so much yet it is still a fully functioning church.
The solar panels, combined with low energy light bulbs, mean the church doesn't have to pay for any electricity. The environmental team at the church is now looking at other projects, such as selling off its excess power and looking at better ways of heating.
The refurbished church was officially opened by the Archbishop of Wales on Monday (July 2) at 7.30pm.
Item from: The Church in Wales