Journey Community Church in La Mesa reports it has completed one of East County’s largest solar conversions. The church said Precision Electric Solar of Lakeside recently completed a $512,000 contract to install a 207 kW system featuring 658 solar panels measuring 39-by-66 inches. The system is expected to save about $100,000 annually in utility costs and reduce carbon emissions by about 80 million pounds per year, according to church officials.
“We looked at the possibility of solar a year ago and the benefits to us and the community were clear,” said Ed Noble, lead pastor at Journey. “We want to do what we can to connect to our community, serve the region and be good neighbors.”
“It is awesome to see what God gives us freely on a daily basis with the sun and be able to harvest it and create electricity,” said Greg Abell, president, Precision Electric Solar. “We are proud to work with a church that supports the community like Journey does. In less than five years they will have their return on investment.”
In 2015, the church launched a campaign to install the system and church-goers pledged more than $3 million to install the system and make other needed capital improvements to the buildings. The church at 8363 Center Dr. in La Mesa owns a seven-acre campus of buildings, including offices, meeting rooms, classrooms, a thrift store, and a food bank as well as commercial businesses that rent space. About 2,500 people attend three services each week.