San Diego, CA
The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego (First UU) is a vibrant, progressive spiritual community dedicated to environmental justice and sustainable living. Operating a bustling campus in the heart of San Diego requires a significant and constant flow of electricity to power its sanctuary, fellowship halls, administrative offices, and religious education facilities. To honor its commitment to ecological stewardship and ensure long-term fiscal responsibility, First UU partnered with Stellar Solar Commercial in March 2014 to deploy a high-performance 73 kWp rooftop solar system.
Designing a solar solution for a prominent, historically significant church campus requires a sophisticated understanding of safety protocols, structural roof integrity, and granular power management. Stellar Solar Commercial engineered a robust rooftop system designed to maximize energy production across the church’s facility, utilizing advanced microinverter technology to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability.
The technical architecture of the First UU installation features:
-290 High-Efficiency Modules: This expansive array of 290 panels was precisely configured across the campus’s rooftops to capture the peak San Diego sun, turning the church’s real estate into a powerful energy-generating asset.
-290 Enphase M215 Microinverters: Unlike traditional systems that use a single central inverter, this installation utilizes a distributed microinverter strategy. Each of the 290 panels is paired with its own dedicated Enphase microinverter. This ensures that every module performs at its individual peak, eliminating any loss from shade, and providing granular, panel-level monitoring and redundant reliability.
-Operational Since March 2014: Placed into service over a decade ago, this 73kW system has already delivered a massive return on investment, shielding the congregation from over ten years of utility rate hikes.
For the leadership at First UU, the transition to solar was far more than a budgetary move. Robie Evans, Director of Operations for the church, noted at the time of installation, “Along with this being a very smart financial decision for the church, we feel that going solar is an important expression of our spiritual values which include being good stewards of the planet.”
By producing its own clean power on-site, the church has effectively locked in its energy costs for decades. In the 2026 energy landscape, where SDG&E rates for San Diego non-profits and religious institutions have reached historic highs, the foresight of this 2014 installation provides a critical financial shield. The cumulative savings can be redirected directly back into the church’s core mission, supporting:
-Social Justice Initiatives: Funding for programs that serve the local and global community.
-Religious Education: Enhancing the resources and curriculum for students of all ages.
-Campus Preservation: Maintaining the beautiful and historic facilities for future generations.
Since 1998, Stellar Solar Commercial has been the preferred partner for California’s churches, non-profits, and educational institutions. We understand that these sensitive projects require a unique level of transparency, professional care, and respect for the active campus environment. Our 28-year history is built on helps mission-driven organizations achieve energy independence with expert engineering and specialized financing options.
Our in-house team handles the entire lifecycle of these 70kW+ projects—from initial structural analysis of the sanctuary roofs to navigating complex utility interconnection. We specialize in working within “live” church environments, ensuring that services, school schedules, and daily parish operations remain undisturbed during the construction phase.
As we move through 2026, the strategy for faith-based and educational campuses has evolved to include Solar + Battery Storage. For large campuses like First UU, adding a battery system provides an essential layer of resilience, ensuring that critical data centers, campus security, and student union facilities remain fully operational even during grid instability or regional power outages.
Stellar Solar Commercial continues to lead this energy revolution, helping California’s spiritual leaders build a resilient, low-cost energy future. We turn iconic rooftops into powerful tools for sustainability and spiritual success.
If your church or non-profit is ready to follow the lead of the First UU and reclaim control over your energy future, contact Stellar Solar Commercial today at 866.787.6527. We provide comprehensive, free site evaluations to help your institution lead the way.