Several St. Croix Reformed Church members joined Pastor Rod early Christmas morning at Carambola for a sunrise service.  The resort asked him to conduct a service for their guests.  Musical accompaniment was provided by Bill Bass and Stan Joines.  Some of those from SCRC commented that this needs to become an annual event.  Thanks Tom Eimer for group photo.

Reverend Rod received  official word Monday December 27th that our church has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Virgin Islands Energy Office to install a 10 Kilowatt Wind Turbine !

The Church Consistory, having unaimously approved the proposal earlier in the fall, has reviewed the details and filed the final papers to accept the funds and begin the installation process. 

In January 2011 the permitting and engineering process begins, followed by placing the order for the turbine & tower. Once ordered, it will take approximately 90 days for the pad to be constructed and the equipment to arrive.  If all goes well, we could be flipping the switch sometime in May.

The church’s out of pocket contribution is approximately $16,500. This money will be borrowed from the church’s reserve funds and paid back by electricity savings per a 7 year schedule.

The turbine’s output will be “net-metered” into the island’s power grid. Every kilowatt the turbine produces will be credited on our WAPA bill.  The grant money was made available through the US Dept of Energy as part of the Economic Stimulus Plan. Because the cost of electricity in the USVI is the highest in the US, the turbine is projected to save the church upwards of $700 a month on its electricity bill. 

In addition to paying back the reserve fund, savings will be redirected into 3 special funds:  

(1) To provide energy related benevolence to the St Croix community and energy improvements to the church building.

(2)  To provide additional instructional help to The Kingshill School.

(3) To provide maintaince and eventual replacement funds for the turbine.

The innovative way in which the church proposed to distribute the savings was part of what caught the grant committee’s eye. In addition to generating savings, it is the church’s hope that the prominent location of the turbine will stimulate discussion and demonstrate the feasibility of wind power on the islands, as well as, make people aware that there is a warm and welcoming Reformed congregation up in La Reine!

Guiding us through the permit and installation process will be Steffen Larsen and Rich Carpenter from “Cruzan Power” –alternative energy & wind experts here on St Croix, and both of whom have installed 10k wind turbines at their homes. Cruzan Power is assisting the church without fee in order to promote wind power on the islands.  (See photos in previous post of our meeting with them.)

For more specific details about the Grant Proposal, and for details about the specific Wind Turbine and tower, including a video, see the previous post on the subject at https://stcroixreformed.org/2010/09/05/consistory-approves-wind-turbine-proposal/

Our thanks to the members of the Grant Proposal Task Force!

Don Bailey, Will Borden, Michael Mongeau, Stan Joines, George Novey, Neil MacQueen, Rod & Janie Koopmans, with technical advice provided by Don Buchanan.

The Consistory has  authorized Rod Koopmans and Neil MacQueen to form a new “Wind  Committee” to oversee installation and operation. Arguably, this is the most appropriately titled church committee ever.  If you are interested in being part of that team, let them know. As we move forward, the comittee will be posting progress reports and sharing more details about the turbine and tower.

Members of the Wind Committee and their functions on the committee:

Don Bailey,accounting, Consistory liason

Michael Mongeau, grant compliance, education/promotion, Kingshill School rep.

Neil MacQueen, Committee coordinator,  liason to Cruzan Power, education/promotion

Will Borden, installation/contractor oversight

George Novey, installation/contractor oversight

Rod Koopmans, staff raconteur

Poinsettias for the church can be purchased by completing an order form (found on back table in the church) and returning it in the offering plate.  The poinsettia will be used to decorate the church throughout the Advent season and can be taken home after the Christmas Eve service or on Sunday, December 26,  Holy Family Sunday.

We invite you to join us for the year-end Jazz Vespers “A Crucian Jazzmas” featuring Otto James and friends on Sun. Dec 5th at 5:30 at the St Croix Reformed Church.

Please also bring a toy to donate. St Croix Reformed Church – sponsor of Jazz vespers , distributes toys to children in need, and we will support that  initiative by asking for donations of unwrapped children’s gifts.

Otto James (keyboard) will be joined by Thomas Jackson (flute), Devin Carrington (Bass), Larry Bough (drums), Junie Allick (congas), and Isidore Giles (percussion)  as they entertain you with Crucian spicey music for the holidays.

Please come and bring a friend.

I’ll have a sign up form for anyone who can donate refresshments for a month between Jan and June.

Thanks…see you there!

Claudette Young Hinds/ Adjoa
340-778-3275 ph

Thanksgiving & Advent Announcements!

Join us Thursday November 25, 2010 for Thanksgiving Dinner!

The Koopmans are hosting their annual Thanksgiving dinner at their home on Longpoint Road. (Rt 667 South and right at fork to the end).  Come at 3:00 pm and bring a dish to share. Call 772-0201 to let Rod or Janie know you are coming  and if you need directions.  All friends of the church, and friends of friends are welcome!

Sunday November 28 is our annual “Hanging of the Greens” & Soup Lunch.

Help us decorate the Sanctuary for Advent after worship, then join us for soup and salad. Please call the church office if you plan to participate. 778-0520

Attention Book Readers!

This week we have approximately 1,000 free books at the church for your reading pleasure! Come get some great winter reading . First come basis,  after 2:00 pm starting today thru this Friday.

Drop ‘n Shop Babysitting Fundraiser

What: Babysitting for the Holidays to make your shopping easier

When: Nov. 20, 27, Dec 4, 11, 18 From 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Where: The Kingshill School

Who: will babysit children potty trained and up

Cost: $5 per hour for first child, $3 per hour for each additional child.
Sign up in advance by call The Kingshill School office: 778-6564

Children should bring a snack and a change of clothes

SING THE MESSIAH!

This Sunday afternoon the 21st you will have a chance to sing or listen to “The Messiah,” Handel’s famous oratorio, at 3 o’clock at the Friedensfeld Moravian Church on Midland Road in Glynn. The UU Fellowship is hosting the Community Sing but it is open to everyone. If you want to sing you need to bring your own music. Choruses only. David Sweeney of the Seventh Day Adventist Church will direct and Barbara Jean Brown will accompany on piano. The Santa Cruz Brass will also play. For more information call Marilyn Chakroff at 514-9275 or Paul Chakroff at 626-0983.

Slideshow of photos from a wonderful day together…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you’re viewing this via our feedburner email service, go to https://stcroixreformed.org/2010/09/13/2010-church-picnic/ to see the picnic photo slideshow.

On Sunday, September 5, 2010…
The Consistory approved the Energy Task Force’s recommendation that the church apply for a $50,000 grant to install a 10 K Wind Turbine on church property. The Energy Task Force’s grant application now goes to the VI Energy Department’s Grant Program. We have been told that grant approval is quite likely, but it wouldn’t hurt to say a few prayers. 

On Monday December 27, 2010… 
We were awarded the grant!  …and have begun preparations to order and install the turbine and tower. If all goes well, we could be turning the switch June 2011.  

Our 10 K Wind Turbine will potentially generate all our current electrical needs ($700/month).  It will be connected to the power grid via “net metering,” meaning:  the turbine will pump power into the WAPA grid on its own meter. If we pump in more than we use, we get a credit on our bill to use for months when slower winds might mean we generate less than we use.  (Net metering does not involve batteries.)

The turbine’s 60 foot tower will be located in the field to the right as you come in the main entrance at the top of the hill. The tower can be hydraulically lowered for storms -a key factor in our decision.

For online videos and details about the turbine and tower, go to http://www.redriven.ca/10-kw-wind-turbine-media/ 

Here’s a youtube video of a Redriven 10K Turbine in action in 15 mph winds. 

In addition to the $50,000 grant from the Dept of Energy and VI Energy Office, the church is contributing $16,500 towards the project. This money will be borrowed from reserve funds and paid back over a 7 year schedule by the money we are no longer sending to WAPA.  

A large portion of our energy bill is due to church’s largest mission project –providing the use of our facility to the Kingshill School, -the only school on island dedicated to students with learning disabilities, and whose energy costs are paid by the church as part of our mission to the community. 

The savings to the church over the 15 year lifespan of the turbine is projected to be between $126,000 and $180,000.  Of course, these are projections and will depend on the wind over time. The turbine does not have to be constantly turning to achieve these results, rather, only operating efficiently about 25%.   It will be exciting to see the actual results, and this data will be shared with the Energy Office and others interested in wind energy.

It is IMPORTANT to note that these savings will not be brought back into the general fund. Rather, every dollar off our WAPA bill we generate will be redirected into these 3 funds:  

1.  Reserve Fund loan payback. $16,500 

2.  Turbine Maintenance & Replacement Fund -monthly payments into this fund will accumulate to provide the church with funds to repair and eventually replace the turbine. Projected set aside: $45,000. (Note: The tower will not have to be replaced after 15 yrs, only the turbine/system.) 

3.  The Wind Mission Fund –After funding the payback and turbine funds, all additional energy savings (rather than going to WAPA) will be paid into a new fund to help our building and benefit the community.  Projected: $64,500 over 15 years. These dollars will be directed to help the Kingshill School with instructional supplies, perform energy-saving upgrades to our building, and help other community organizations with their energy related needs (such as new fans for My Brothers Table). 

These are all estimates.

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Why not Solar?

The Energy Task Force studied quotes for both Solar and Wind. We unanimously settled upon wind for several reasons, including:

1) Our windy location.
2) Our consumption needs. 
3) Wind vs solar payback. 
4) Limitations on the size of solar array the church roof could hold. 
5) The Wind tower’s ability to hydraulically lower in a storm, versus, the need to manually remove solar panels prior to a hurricane. 

A 6 K solar installation would have cost us $50,000 but not potentially generate enough to zero-out our bill AND fund it’s own replacement after 15 years.  The size of that installation would have also made it a herculean task to remove prior to a hurricane.

The federally funded VI grant is part of the US government’s economic stimulus made available to non-profits here in the VI. 

Members of the Energy Task Force: Don Bailey, Will Borden, Stan Joines, Janie Koopmans, Rod Koopmans, Neil MacQueen, Michael Mongeau, George Novey. 

Task Force Technical Resource: Don Buchanan.

The following graphic is a mock-up of the approximate appearance and location of the turbine and tower. 

Click to enlarge

Members of the Consistory, Task Force, and interested members meet with Steffen Larsen, local wind and solar expert.

Members of the Consistory, Task Force, and interested members meet with Steffen Larsen to examine a pole and pad installation.

The Consistory has approved investigating the installation of solar or wind power at the church and Kingshill School. If approved, the installation would largely be paid for by a VI Energy Department grant (provided the grant proposal was approved). 

If you are on island and have experience or expertise with solar or wind installations, information regarding any of the various companies which do such installations on island, or experience writing grant proposals, please contact neilmacqueen@gmail.com.

We are on a tight timeframe due to the grant window closing early next month.

The plan is not to remove the church and school from the grid. Rather, generated power would be “net metered” to WAPA, meaning, every kilowatt hour our system generated would be deducted from our WAPA bill.  The church and school together are currently averaging about $700 a month in electric bills.

Visit our Facebook page and click the “LIKE” button at the top to follow the church’s Facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kingshill/St-Croix-Reformed-Church/117423938306347

You are welcome to post church events and info, prayer requests and the like.

When you “like” the church’s Facebook page, you’ll also be able to see who else is following the page and you can get in touch with them.  We hope that’s a great way for members and friends to network!

Who Uses Facebook?

It’s a common misconception that it’s just for kids or young adults.

A recent survey by National Public Radio of their own Facebook page showed that NPR had 1 million “friends” on Facebook, 79% of whom were between the ages of 25 and 54. 

80% of NPR’s Facebook friends listened to NPR everyday and visited the NPR Facebook page at least once a day to get news and links.

For help with Facebook or posting info on the church’s Facebook page or church website, contact Neil at neilmacqueen@gmail.com

You can also find the link to the church’s Facebook page at www.stcroixreformed.org

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