Albuquerque Friends Meeting (Albuquerque)
Capacity: : 2.115 kW, 9 panels
Financing Self financed
Background
Albuquerque Mennonite Church (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 12 kW PV
Financing: Power Purchase Agreement, set up an LLC with congregants at the church.
Background: Conducted a Mennonite style barn raising, solar raising installation with a Mennonite pastor, who is a solar installer from Carlsbad, Rev. Nick King with help from congregation volunteers
Bethany Christian Reformed Church (Gallup)
Capacity: 26 kW PV capacity, parking lot mount
Financing Power Purchase Agreement creating an LLC and got donors to pay for this and they worked with ABQ Mennonite church for advice and help.
Background: Completed solar installation in the fall of 2017 Received a national Interfaith Power and Light first prize in the Cool Congregation challenge for its creative solar array project.
Columban Mission Center (El Paso, TX)
Capacity
Financing
Background:
Congregation Albert (Albuquerque)
Capacity 62.64 kW.
Financing Self financed with an anonymous donation.
Background: Won national IPL cool congregation award in 2019 for solar project.
Congregation Nahalat Shalom (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 2.5 kW PV capacity.
Financing Financed with a loan from Chuck Buxbaum (member of congregation); loan paid back monthly by congregration.
Background: Luz was contractor. Nahalat Shalom is willing to finance systems at other congregations. Working will for 2.5 years.
The Ner Tamid (Eternal Light) that serves as the focal point of Congregation Nahalat Shalom’s worship space is powered by new photovoltaic panels.The Ner Tamid is a feature of every Jewish synagogue; it burns night and day and is often associated with the menorah, the seven-branched lamp that stood in front of the original Temple in Jerusalem.
Because it symbolizes God’s eternal and imminent presence in our communities and in our lives, it is never extinguished. Calculations suggest that using solar energy for this one fixture will reduce Nahalat Shalom’s greenhouse gas emissions by 315 lbs. of carbon over the course of one year and up to 3 tons in twenty years!
Nahalat Shalom’s Ner Tamid was commissioned by Tova Indritz and designed by Diane Palley. It is in the form of a hexagon and incorporates images from the natural world and verses from the Torah that reflect the congre gation’s dual commitment to peace and justice.
First Presbyterian Church (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 76.5 kW PV capacity. System sized by NM Solar Group.
Financing—Financed through their own endowment foundation.
Background: Albuquerque Journal article on solar power in New Mexico has pictures of solar installation at First Presbyterian Church
First Presbyterian Church (Taos)
Capacity: 58.5 kW PV
Financing
First Unitarian Church (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 48 kW PV
Financing: Power Purchase Agreement with third party.
Background: All the congregation’s roofs have solar panels that offset our energy consumption.
Holy Cross Retreat Center (Mesilla Park)
Capacity:
Financing: Self-financed through Catholic Energies.
Background: 80 panels in retreat center, 100 in other buildings, 23 over rectory.
Fr. Tom Smith, OFM Conv., offers some background and history of the
Las Placitas Presbyterian Church (Placitas)
Capacity: 9.56 kW
Financing
Backgound Solar system installed in summer of 2017
Lutheran Church of the Servant (Santa Fe)
Capacity
Financing
Lybrook Community Ministries (Cuba)
Capacity: Multiple PV systems.
Financing: Self-financed.
Background; Won national IPL cool congregation award in 2019
Monastery of Christ in the Desert (Abiquiu)
Photo from monastery website
Capacity: 7.2 kW + (2) 20 kW storage banks – off-grid 
Financing Financed through loans
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 37.4 kW
Financing Self-financed
Background: More than 100 solar panels were installed over parish hall to cover the energy needs of all the church’s buildings. From the first day they were connected, the church has een realizing energy savings well in excess of $1000 per month.
Norbertine Community at Santa Maria de la Vid (Albuquerque)
Capacity 7.5 KW PV
Financing: Self-financed by the Norbertine community.
Background: Panels are located in the center’s Pope Francis Solar Field, which was dedicated with a special prayer and blessing in July 2015.
Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Catholic Community (Albuquerque)
Capacity 10 kW PV
Financing Congregation paid for system with funds they had invested for future needs. (Congregation was considering a power purchase agreement, but discovered it could obtain a larger return from their funds on hand by installing a solar system).
Background: There are 156 panels on the family center roof and 78 panels on the church. These panels are presently converting the sun’s energy into electric energy and passed into PNM’s electrical system.
Prince of Peace Catholic Community (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 100 kW PV
Financing – Self-financed with donations.
Background: Constructed a special building to place solar panels rather than have them at ground-level in the field
St. John XXIII Catholic Community (Albuquerque)
Capacity 100 kW
Financing 60% parishioners, rest was loan from archdiocese.
Background: Solar PV located in parking lot
St. Mark’s on the Mesa Episcopal Church (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 46 kW PV
Financing—Power Purchase Agreement that they set up with parishioners creating an LLC
After a 3 year process that included energy efficiency upgrades which took advantage of the NM IPL no interest loan fund, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church blessed their solar unit in November 2015 and began watching their meter as it generated energy from the sun in December.
Background: The church’s project is unique, in that they created a parish LLC and also offered some parishioner labor in creating their solar array that celebrates God’s creation and energy from the sun. Caring for creation and being a witness as the first Episcopal congregation in New Mexico to install solar were important factors in their decision. It took a lot of work, but they are so excited that they will gladly meet with any faith community to walk them through the steps.
St. Mary’s Catholic Mission (Tohatchi)
Capacity 2 kW kit from Helio Power (California)
Financing:
Background: Solar panels were installed in May 2021 by Gallup start-up company, Green Horizons, operated by Jason Jones. The solar kit provides energy for the rectory and bingo hall, with energy savings each month aestimated at about 30%. Some 1,554 pounds of CO2 have been saved since May. The parish averages 7.6kWh of energy production each day with a total yield thus far of 914 kWh. The total hours in use since May 1 is 1,275 hours. The staff estimates that $7 a day is being saved on electricity. In addition to the solar, energy efficiency measures are also incorporated into the rectory building
St. Therese Catholic School (Albuquerque)
Capacity:
Financing: Held a fundraising campaign effort to pay for the panels outright.
Background: Dedicated 120 Solar Panels, April 2014 That summer, the school received checks of around $300 instead of paying electric bills.
St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church (Albuquerque)
Capacity: 6.54 kW PV
Financing – Power Purchase Agreement with Re-volv. They pay investors at fixed rate of $0.127/kWh produced monthly by the solar system.
Background: Bishop Michael Hunn of the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande blessed the solar system at the church in April 2022. Check out this video.
United Church of Santa Fe (Santa Fe)
Capacity: 15.4 kW
Financing: Self Financed
Background: System of 44 solar panels was installed in January 2016, providing 100% of congregation’s electric energy needs. Solar system included a charger for electric vehicles.
Solar Power Systems in Process
All Saints Lutheran Church (Albuquerque)
First Christian Church-Disciples of Christ (Carlsbad)
Westminster Presbyterian Church (Santa Fe)