The Church:
While the building was constructed in 1946, St. Barnabas Episcopal Church has served the community on Bainbridge Island through worship and community service since 1922. As part of Bainbridge Island’s Emergency Preparedness Network, the church serves as a center of support during extended power outages and other emergencies. St. Barnabas centers the values of belonging, hospitality, and caring for God’s creation in its practice.
The project includes 127 solar panels across the church’s roof. Power Trip Energy designed and installed the 53.34 kW system that’s capable of producing 44,133 kilowatt-hours per year. This reduces the church’s energy bill and contributes to sustainable infrastructure and emergency preparedness on Bainbridge Island.
Special thanks to St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Member George Robertson, Rev. Karen Haig, Rev. Dianne Andrews, Power Trip Energy, Olympia Community Solar, and Washington Department of Commerce.
The solar project will reduce the church’s annual energy burden by $8,181 within the first year. This will save St. Barnabas over $353,600 on power costs across the next 30 years, dollars which can instead support the church’s mission and ministry on Bainbridge Island and in Kitsap County. The installation is projected to produce 44,133 kWhs per year of clean, renewable electricity. According to Puget Sound Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency’s greenhouse gas equivalencies, it will offset 41,573 pounds of CO2 emissions annually. That is equivalent to 48,021 miles not driven or 20,947 pounds of coal not burned.
Olympia Community Solar supported St. Barnabas by assisting with their request for proposal process and helping to select Power Trip Energy as a trusted installer. We also secured a grant from the Washington Department of Commerce to cover installation costs.
On May 30th, 2026, St. Barnabas held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the solar project. It was attended by special guests Clarence Moriwaki, Mayor of the City of Bainbridge Island, and State Senator Drew Hansen, who voted in support of the Climate Commitment Act in 2021.
The project is funded from a grant from the WA Department of Commerce Clean Energy Community Grants program, which is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
English 
Español de México