BELMONT — The future got a little brighter Sept. 1 as the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas launched a solar panel installation project on their Belmont campus.
“The Sisters of Mercy are committed to do our part to make life on our home, planet Earth, sustainable for generations into the future,” said Sister Judith Frikker, RSM, a member of the sisters’ institute leadership team.
The 1,152 panels were expected to be fully operational by the end of September, providing an estimated 919 megawatt hours of electricity annually, about 30% of the campus’ total electricity usage.
Belmont Mayor Joe Jordan, Belmont City Council member Jim Hefferan and City of Belmont Chief of Police Boyce “Corky” Falls were on hand for the ribbon cutting. Father Paul Buchanan, pastor of Queen of the Apostles Church in Belmont, blessed the project.
The $3 million project is the first solar panel installation project by the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas and represents a major step toward their goal of achieving complete carbon neutrality by 2045.
“We have called ourselves to align our institutional practices with actions to address the urgent climate crisis that we all face,” Sister Judith said.
“There is much that needs to be done, and that will only be effective if we collaborate in this effort.”
— Catholic News Herald