Originally published on EdenKeeper.org
Founded in 1979, the Christian Cultural Center (CCC) is the largest church in Brooklyn. With over 37,000 members in its congregation, the CCC is the largest evangelical church in the New York region and one of the largest independent churches in the US.
Sitting on an 11-acre sun-drenched campus, the CCC is hoping to make a big impact as the biggest solar church in Brooklyn.
Brooklyn’s Largest Church Illuminates the Path
Senior Pastor Dr. A. R. Bernard is the founding pastor of Brooklyn’s Christian Cultural Center. “Our mission,” he explains, “is to demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ through humanitarian works and social engagement.”
Bernard continues, “As Brooklyn’s largest church, we hope that our embrace of renewable energy will illuminate the path to a more sustainable future for our community, as well as serve as an example for other faith-based communities.”
On September 13, UGE International Ltd announced that it has secured a contract to build a 261 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar installation for the CCC.
Eliminating Over 5,264 Tons of CO2 Annually
The solar PV rooftop installation that UGE is designing for the CCC is huge. It is expected to generate over 330,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean, solar power every year. Over the system’s lifetime, this represents eliminating over 5,264 metric tons of global warming-related carbon dioxide (CO2).
Put in other terms, this is the equivalent of offsetting fossil fuel emissions from about 12.5 million passenger vehicles, or by planting over 134,000 carbon-sequestering trees.
No stranger to huge solar installations, UGE is a leader in renewable energy solutions for the commercial and industrial sector. In New York, UGE installed a clean energy project at Whole Foods in Gowanus, and others on apartment buildings in Queens.
In the Philippines, UGE will be building a 475 kW rooftop solar installation for Cebu-based Philippine Spring Water Resources, the local manufacturer and distributor of Nature’s Spring bottled drinking water.
Advancing Mission Work Through Reduced Energy Costs
UGE reports that Brooklyn’s largest church will complete its solar transformation within the next six months.
Woodcock states, “Solar is already saving money for organizations across New York, and we’re thrilled to help CCC to reduce their energy costs in a way that allows them to dedicate precious resources to advancing their mission.”
However, Big is Not Necessarily Always Better
Reminding us that big is not necessarily always better, Brooklyn’s largest church inspires us to appreciate the power of small things, too:
If you have faith as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20 #thebible pic.twitter.com/aYfCPTUgTQ
— CCC Brooklyn (@CCCinfoorg) September 14, 2016