Roof with Old Slate Above New Sunday School Area

HOW MUCH ENERGY ARE WE PRODUCING TODAY?  Find out here!

The roof was LEAKING! The slate was CRUMBLING!

As a congregation we faced an important decision this spring - What should we do about the roof, and how can we express our care for creation in the process?

During May, our congregation voted to not only replace the church’s leaky roof, but also to make an additional investment in the community and the environment. The 100-year-old roof has been replaced and a 14.76kWh solar photovoltaic (PV) array has been installed on Lake Park’s two south-facing roofs.

The array, as seen in the photos below, covers the roof above the chapel and will form an inverted “U” on the south-facing roof above the sanctuary.

This commitment by Lake Park Lutheran members, despite tight economic times, reflects the value we place on supporting the Milwaukee Synod’s ecological movement and is significant on several fronts:

• We are one of the first churches in the city, and the country, to install this technology on our site.
• The installation has drawn the attention of the congregation, neighbors, and the community and will continue to emphasize the importance of caring for creation and actively seeking renewable sources of energy for years to come.
• The nearly 15,000 Kilowatt system is considered very large by non-profit standards. The energy from our solar panels will flow directly into the grid, contributing to the renewable energy provided by our local WE Energies utility.
• Theologically, we are not self-sustaining and we do not produce the energy we consume. We are still reliant upon the energy produced by others as we, at the same time, are sending out energy to be used by households, businesses, and industries in our neighborhood and beyond.

Lake Park hopes to create broad awareness informing and educating our congregation, our neighbors and our larger faith community about renewable energy and the importance of actively pursuing earth-friendly activities.

We will continue to work to reduce our carbon footprint utilizing the Earth’s abundant resources and create cleaner energy. If you are interested in learning more about solar energy in Milwaukee and beyond, visit the Milwaukee Shines webpage.

On September 13, we celebrated the installation of our panels with our block party and a special service of dedication. Thanks to all who made the Block Party and Solar Panel Dedication a great success!

Click here to see how local news and media outlets featured our solar panels, and our vision for the future. Below is a video of photos highlighting the project’s completion this summer.

Work Begins - Early July

The old slate will be recycled!

New tile on the north chapel roof!