Birken Forest Monastery is now beginning its third year with solar panels. What a success. They have cut the annual use of our diesel generator by a full 30 percent (and definitely add a little to the pleasure of a sunny day)!

As a result, after months of researching websites and technical literature to address our energy needs (this was largely the work of our abbot), the monastery is now entering Phase 2 - a.k.a. Birken Goes Greener. It’s a costly, but very worthwhile undertaking.

An abbreviated summary of all this research? DC pumps require much less energy than AC, and solar panels supply decades of clean, silent, maintenance-free electricity to run them! Investing now will keep the monastery running more simply and smoothly in the years ahead.

For readers interested in these matters, here are some further details:

With the advantages of solar power for the monastery abundantly clear, we recently purchased eight high-capacity (216 watt) panels for our electrical system. Six of them will tie into the existing solar array and add two-thirds to our clean electrical generation. This daily output will be stored in the larger battery bank the monastery purchased in October 2008.

The other element of the equation for "Birken Going Greener" is: DC PUMPS. Although they are more expensive, DC pumps require only one-half to one-third the electricity of AC and offer more reliable service. Pumping water from a depth of nearly 300 feet, circulating hot water from the wood boiler and throughout the network of pipes and in-floor hoses in our large heating system, and simply making it available in the kitchen and bathrooms, demands a significant share of Birken’s total electrical output. Therefore, one pair of solar panels will be dedicated to power a highly efficient DC well pump. A DC pump will also supply water pressure at the taps. We calculate that changing these 2 large pumps should reduce our power needs by between 20-30 percent. In addition, we will be installing 9 new (and quieter) DC pumps to run the heating system. The benefits of this will be acute in winter months, when heating needs are high and the sun is low!

Short-term expenses: The costly deep-well pump will be over $2000; the total for the remaining pumps is well over $3000. The solar panels (purchased on sale) total over $9000. Installation expenses for electricians and plumbers, and many other costs, will bring the price tag for Phase 2 to approximately $18,000.

Long-term benefits: The high price of diesel generator-produced electricity (up to 10 times the cost of grid power in BC) makes the economics of these purchases rather straightforward. For some of these energy investments the “payback time” will be as little as 2-3 years. Beyond this, the benefits accummulate - with much lower monthly operating costs and reduced maintenance. (Incidentally, even in its present state – including our hundreds of annual guests – the large monastery building runs on one-third the electricity of an average family home. Put in other terms, our residents consume about one-tenth the power of most Canadians!) Clearly, these factors are significant for the future operation of this forest monastery.

Phase 2 also brings tremendous environmental benefit. The careful combination of reduced need with greater electrical production and storage capacity aims for the “holy grail” of efficiency: to cleanly produce 100 percent of our electricity for half of the year and 50 percent over the winter. It amounts to a vast reduction in diesel exhaust.

We are delighted to report that a family of supporters has already pledged $6000 towards this project. Anumodana!

Are you interested in contributing to Phase 2? The Birken Forest Monastery Society welcomes donations to this far-reaching endeavour, as an excellent way to offset your “Carbon Footprint”!