Downey Avenue Christian Church in Irvington has been around for a long time. The congregation formed over a hundred years ago, and moved into the current church building in 1952, and weathered a terrible fire in late 2005. They have been in the east side community through thick and thin, but through it all, leaders of the church and the congregation have looked to the future.
In early October, the church completed installation of 28 solar panels on the flat roof of the church. Every one of the panels will produce 285 watts of energy. The church expects to get 11,571 kwh per year, which will provide approximately 20 percent of their monthly energy cost. Downey Avenue Christian Church is the first solar-powered church in Irvington, but it probably won’t the only one within a few years.
The project was made possible through a grant program administered by Hoosier Interfaith Power and Light using money provided by the Indiana Office of Energy Development. The cost was covered primarily through the grant, but with some additional contributions from the church. They held a dedication of the panels on Oct. 18 with Pastor Steven Moore leading a brief service while he stood on the roof beside the panels.
Solar energy, like the panels at Downey Avenue Christian Church, and the big solar array in the former Eastgate Mall parking lot, are supplying more and more energy for Hoosier businesses and individuals. The electricity created by the panels on homes, offices, and other sites is used by the individuals, and the excess is sold back to the electrical grid. According to the Indiana Office of Energy Development, as of October 2015, Indiana homes and businesses have connected about 118 megawatts of solar-generated electricity to the electric grid.
Downey Avenue Christian Church is part of a larger organization working to improve the environment, Eastside Creation Care. The organization is made up of eastside churches working with people of faith on environmental stewardship. The public is invited to attend Eastside Creation Care’s next event, a showing of the film A Fierce Green Fire on November 20 at 7 p.m. at Cumberland First Baptist Church, 116 S. Muessing St. in Cumberland. Admission is free. The film is about the history of the environmental movement, and the continuing fight for sustainable living.
Downey Avenue Christian Church is a member of the Green Chalice Network, and has monthly meetings about “green living,” urging the congregation to participate in energy assessments, and much more. For more information about the church, visit downeyavenue.org
