Christ Congregation in Princeton will hold a "Solarbration" service and fellowship on Sunday to celebrate the beginning of the generation of solar energy from the solar electric panels recently installed on the church’s roof.
In addition to celebrating the successful installation of 40 photovoltaic panels, the celebration will honor several members of the community who were instrumental in the panels’ successful installation.
Honored will be Lawrence C. Wohl, a partner in the Princeton law offices of Archer and Greiner; William Wolfe, an architect in Princeton, and Rick Brooke, owner of Jersey Solar, who donated most of the photovoltaic panels, in addition to installing them.
In 2005, the congregation, in accordance with its sense of responsibility as good stewards of its building and property, voted to install an electric system with photovoltaic panels on the church roof. Members were dismayed to discover that in order for the panels to collect enough sunlight, a large Pin oak would need to be removed from the back yard.
After long discussions and negotiations with church neighbors and Princeton Borough committees, Christ Congregation was given final approval to remove the tree in late September 2006. In an ironic twist, it was discovered upon analysis of a cutting from the tree that it had a bacterial leaf scorch disease, and would likely have fallen or needed to be removed at a later date, anyway.
In exchange for the Pin oak, Christ Congregation agreed to plant three trees on its property and purchase three trees for the Borough Shade Tree Commission to plant as it sees fit.
Members of the public are welcome to join in the Solarbration events, which will commence with church services at 10 a.m. Sunday. The celebration will continue during lunch and fellowship, which will commence at approximately 11 a.m.
Christ Congregation is located at 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton, close by the campus of Westminister Choir College. For more information, call (609) 921-6253.
On the Web: www.ccprinceton.org.
