5,500 Churches in UK Run on Renewable Energy

The sudden shift to renewable energy by the churches in UK has hit the fossil fuel companies hard.

London based religious charity ‘Christian Aid’ has proclaimed that 5,500 churches in UK have started depending completely on renewable energy sources for their operations.

“Renewable energy is now a mainstream power source,” Emma Pinchbeck, the executive director of RenewableUK, tells CNBC. “Any organization that takes tackling climate change seriously would want to make sure it’s taking full advantage of our bountiful natural resources, including wind, wave, and tidal power,” she adds.

Procurement agency for the churches of England, Parish Buying is the main contributor to the switching of energy sources to renewable energy in the churches. With its power to dictate terms to suppliers, it has now made certain all electricity delivered to its constituents comes from renewable sources based in the UK.

Lead bishop on the environment, Church of England, Nicholas Holtam said, “Climate change is one of the great moral challenges of our time and so it’s fantastic to see churches doing their bit to ensure they reduce their impact on the environment. They are also giving a boost to clean energy, which is essential to reduce harmful carbon emissions.”

Adding, “An average church in England uses $1,300 a year for its electricity needs”, 2By2, UK’s purchasing group helps schools, churches and businesses to aggregate their expenses and bring electricity to them in the best obtainable price.

The sudden shift to renewables by the churches has hit the fossil fuel companies hard. The fossil fuel industry is expected to lose around $6.5 million due to the increase dependence on renewables.

Among other sources of energy, Gloucester Cathedral is the first to not receive energy requirements from outer vendors. It had installed 120 solar panels on its roof in 2016.

Source: Cleantechnica