Church of England turns to Solar – Plans to achieve net zero by 2030

Their plan for net-zero carbon emissions by 2030

A vote was created in February 2020 to aim for the entirety of the Church of England to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. A goal taken seriously and that has been tackled since the vote’s inception, the Church of England themselves recognise that the global climate emergency is a crisis worth fighting for.

A plan of action has been made, ready to get every church to achieve net zero carbon. The plan created was called the “Routemap,” and in a motion for the Routemap to be endorsed, it was approved in July 2022. This plan was specifically crafted under the debate of every Diocesan Synod and for high-energy users within the church to personally create a programme of action based on the Routemap.

You can read their routemap in its entirety on their site here; Net Zero Carbon Routemap | The Church of England

Evergen has recently helped Quinton Methodist Church achieve their goals.

As of Q1 of 2024, Evergen has been reached out to by churches to achieve their net zero goals. The first church to have its solar panels fully installed and operational was Quinton Methodist Church in Birmingham.

We conducted a full site survey and tailored a system to suit their needs to peak optimisation, where we now monitor and assure their system runs smoothly to this day.

You can read more about this installation here.

Funding for the net zero goal

The country-wide plan has gathered lots of backing and, as such, has plenty of varying grants available. You can find the national list of chartable grants for churches on the Parish Resources website and a useful list of opportunities on the Community Energy England website.

Aren’t churches a conservation area or a listed building?

The majority, if not all, of churches will be in a conservation area or listed building. However, to install solar and create green solutions, there are workarounds to the limitations. The most common of these restraints would simply declare that the panels have to be hidden from street view (church halls and schools are less likely to be constrained in this way and may be able to install them under permitted development rules).

However, whether planning permission is required or not, faculty permission is compulsory. An application will have to be filled out and approved, and all of these are considered on a case-by-case basis. Creating a well-designed, well-thought-out, and properly prepared application is important for the best chance of approval. The Church has created an informational guide to creating your own ideal application, which can be found here.

Keep in mind that solar panels being visible does not bar them from being installed entirely. It will just need to be followed by a stronger case to uphold the benefits of the installation.

Church of England Interactive Map

The data correlated below is part of the Church of England’s Environment Program. Their focus is on helping the 42 dioceses and 16,000 churches reduce their carbon footprint.

Click below to explore the interactive map on their website.