First United Presbyterian Church Of Crafton Heights In Pittsburgh Cut Energy Bills By More Than 2/3, Now Invests More In People, The Community

The First United Presbyterian Church of Crafton Heights in Pittsburgh is offering its “Cross Trainers” summer camp from June 22 through July 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., where one of the most popular camp perks is access to refreshingly cool air conditioning-- courtesy of CHUP’s rooftop solar array, paired with energy efficiency upgrades.

Installed on the day of the solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, CHUP’s new solar array was put to its biggest test during the summer of 2025, when 94 neighborhood kids signed up for the Cross Trainers summer camp, held during Pittsburgh’s hottest time of the year.  

Due in part to the promise of increased air conditioning, the camp expanded in 2025 to include middle schoolers.

“We’ve held our Cross Trainers camp for nearly 30 years now, and in the past we had to always be pretty selective and frugal with when, and to what degree, we used the air conditioning,” said Pastor Dave Carver, leader of CHUP. 

“And even then, our energy bills were debilitating. But thanks to our new solar array, we’re only paying a small fraction of what we used to – and the kids are a lot happier. Many of them don’t have central air conditioning at home, so it’s great to be able to offer it to them when they come here.”

A recently released case study by Energy Efficiency Stories-- a project of the Energy Efficiency Alliance--reported that CHUP, which once paid about $6,600 a year on electric bills, now pays less than $2,000 a year thanks to its new solar system. 

This frees up nearly $5,000 a year to reinvest into the people and community that the church serves.

CHUP hasn’t stopped at going solar. The church has also invested in energy efficiency. 

In 2025, CHUP replaced their old boiler with a high-efficiency unit. 

“Perhaps one day they'll replace me with a high-efficiency unit,” jokes Pastor Carver.

Fifteen years before that, CHUP replaced a number of the church’s windows that had been leaking temperature-controlled air. 

And this year, CHUP has plans to refurbish and replace some of their original stained glass windows, which are more than 100 years old, as a way to further preserve CHUP’s energy stores.

“As you look at the new reality for churches, particularly small inner city churches in North America, sustainability is going to be a huge factor,” said Pastor Carver. “So if we can spend less money on keeping our doors open, we can keep our doors open longer.”

Visit the CHUP Solar Panel Initiative webpage to watch a video about the project and for more information.

For more details on how CHUP is benefiting from solar and energy efficiency, check out EEA’s case study on CHUP here.

The Energy Efficiency Alliance (EEA) is a nonprofit organization that advances energy efficiency in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 

EEA engages and educates stakeholders and decision-makers to drive programs, policies, and funding that accelerate energy efficiency. 

Our work grows the market for EE businesses, flexible solutions, and technologies that lower energy use in buildings, foster affordability, and reduce pressure on the grid.

Related Article This Week:

-- PennDOT Now Accepting Applications For National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Grants In Western And Southeast PA; June 25 Webinar For Western Applicants  [PaEN]

[Posted: June 16, 2026]  PA Environment Digest