On April 27 the LDS Church unveiled a new meetinghouse located in Farmington... which, in other circumstances, might not necessarily be front-page news... except that it's the first solar-powered LDS meetinghouse in North America. It also represents a very successful collaboration with Jacobsen Construction as the general contractor. 

Featuring 158 panels mounted over about a third of the soon-to-be-opened stake center's south roof, the solar power system is one of several innovative uses of energy-efficient construction and utility technologies being tested by the Church... with assistance from a special project team from Jacobsen. In 2008 the Church invited Jacobsen to help design and then build the energy-efficient prototypes -- which will also be located in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. 

"For several years we've enjoyed a great partnership with the Church as its general contractor on numerous chapels," explained JCC Project Executive Jim Cavey. "When they asked us to collaborate with them on an energy-efficient prototype, we jumped at the chance. It's been very exciting to help design and create a building that will not only preserve our natural resources, but utilize them more efficiently."

Estimates suggest the solar panel systems should generate enough electricity to power the structure, resulting in a projected annual energy savings of $6,000. The facility, which is LEED Silver-certifiable, also features xeriscaping, underground soil moisture sensors, instantly heated water and other energy-efficient technology, as you will see in the KSL-TV news footage below.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com