Sky’s the limit as Lithgow Uniting Church switches to solar

As part of festivities for its 90^th Anniversary celebrations, Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church officially opened its solar power system on Sunday, 28 October.

The church’s community hall was fitted with 24 solar panels.

Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church Minister Rev. Matthew Trounce told local newspaper The Lithgow Mercury that the relationship between Lithgow Environment Group and the Uniting Church was a natural fit.

Julie Favel was one of the driving forces for the project. She said that the panels would help Hoskins reduce their energy bill and instead redirect money into their ministry in Lithgow’s local community.

The panels were funded with a $3000 grant from Energy Australia and an online fundraising campaign and fundraising events. This work was carried out by LJWSolar.

A memorandum of understanding was previously signed between LJWSolar and Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church, which stipulated that local people would be hired as part of the project.

Rev. Trounce previously told Insights that local jobs were an essential part of Lithgow’s transition away from being a coal mining town, a transition that he says has proved painful at times.

“The environment group are pretty aware of Lithgow’s history…as an industrial town,” Rev. Trounce said.

Hoskins Memorial Uniting Church Hall will also host an environmental forum on Wednesday, 28 November at 6:30pm. The forum comes as the NSW Environmental Protection Agency reviews the licences of Mt Piper and other coal fired power stations.

Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor