One goal of the Climate Witness Committee is to minimize fossil-fuel use at MtToby by replacing heating from oil by heating from air-source heat pumps, themselves powered by solar energy. The Committee obtained estimates for the heat pumps and solar panels, obtained a general go-ahead from the meeting for business, received a $10,000 grant from New England Yearly Meeting for a grant, and did the fundraising in Mount Toby to raise the approximately $80,000 in gifts and zero-interest loans for the initial capital outlay, plus more for anticipated overruns. As of May 2023, the majority of the debt has been repayed. The system has produced substantial reductions in what we currently pay for oil and electricity, and created SRECs for the energy generated by the solar panels..
A trifold display was created and taken to the NEYM sessions to give Friends a summary of the project:
To see a larger image of the trifold (too big to fit on the screen so you will have to use your browser to enlarge it and view it all) to read the text, click here.
The heat pumps have been installed (photo below), and the solar panels, on a stand which rotates and tilts to face the sun.
Meeting Room