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Olympia church installs solar panels, battery backup

On Sept. 15, United Churched of Olympia celebrated the completion of its 18-month capital campaign and the installation of 108 solar panels with a battery backup system and EV chargers.

Drone view shows new solar panels installed at United Churches of Olympia. Photo by United Churches of Olympia

The campaign projects included 1) installation of a new, efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning system to replace the old boiler, 2) the installation of an elevator to make both levels of the church accessible to all who worship and visit, 3) the significant solar project and 4) the necessary electrical system upgrades for HVAC, solar and elevator upgrades.

The multi-year project is a result of the church’s intention to have its physical space more fully reflect its faith values and as a legacy project for generations to come.

The community celebration shared about the benefits of solar and introduced the individuals and local organizations that made these projects a reality.

Organizers offered building tours and elevator rides for guests to see and experience the improvements to accessibility and environmental sustainability. they also heard from people who helped make it possible about the church’s journey to making the improvements.

The endeavor expands the church’s ability to serve the congregation and the broader community for years to come, with the added benefit of reduced carbon emissions and higher efficiency, said Lara Crutzinger Perry, pastor.

“The solar panels are currently able to fully power the building on sunny days,” she said.

The “United at the Corner: Building the Place Where Spirituality and Justice Meet” campaign at United Churches of Olympia grew out of strategic planning discussions that began in 2019.

Capital needs were identified in small group meetings.

In 2024, the Building Renovation team began work.

A capital campaign raised more than $1.3 million and about $ 624,000 in grants were secured for solar panels, backup batteries and EV chargers.

Additional funds came from selling the church’s small lower parking lot to its neighbor, the TVW-WA public affairs network that covers the legislative sessions. They plan to build a parking garage United Churches could access evenings and weekends, Lara said.

So part of the celebration was about completing the project debt free, she added.

Construction began in 2025 and was done in 2026.

Lara said the church that draws 150 to 200 on Sundays is an engaged congregation with its members serving in various ways both in the church and in the community.

The United Churches is a downtown church, founded after a small group of folks met 170 years ago in a shop on the corner of 5th and Columbia, when First Presbyterian was formed. The Congregational congregation—now UCC—was formed in 1873. When it needed a new building and the Presbyterian church needed a new pastor, the United Churches was formed. They agreed to federate in 1916, recounted Lara.

When the church building was damaged in a 1949 earthquake, the vision for the new space was initiated. Building began in 1951 and the sanctuary was dedicated in 1954.

“The space has grown over decades and generations for use by the vibrant, radically inclusive congregations,” Lara said. “Now, on the corner of justice and spirituality, we celebrate that we have done good legacy work preparing this building for generations to come.”

The project aligns the building with the churches’ values of welcome, safety, health, accessibility, worship and environmental stewardship.

During the ceremony, solar project partners, Olympia Community Solar and South Sound Solar, presented information on how solar power works.

Lara said the building needed significant electrical and efficiency upgrades to prepare it for the solar panels that are expected to produce 59,000 kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable electricity a year.

The battery storage system can continue to power the building for four days during cloudy conditions and infinite days under sunny conditions during grid outages. The system will provide power for the church’s social hall and kitchen, spaces that will serve as an emergency shelter during disasters.

The United Churches’ solar project received funding from the Clean Energy Community Grants program, which is supported by Washington’s Climate Commitment Act and administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Member David Nightingale prepared the decarbonization grant, which included the backup system that can power the lower floor with the social hall, kitchens and bathrooms as gathering space and shelter in case of a disaster.

For information, call 360-943-1210 or visit theunitedchurches.org.

 

Pacific Northwest United Church of Christ Conference News © October 2026

 

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