Mormon Church announces green building plans

The leader of the Mormon Church has pledged to use more green technology after overseeing the construction of the first environmentally-friendly meeting house in the northern hemisphere.


The religion, also called as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has opened its first solar powered ‘meetinghouse’ in the northern hemisphere.

The new building in Farmington, Utah, which is still under contrcution, is intended to be a flagship of green technology use by the church.

The roof-mounted solar panels are projected to generate enough electricity to completely power the structure, saving an estimated $6000 in energy costs annually.

“It’s about creating a place of worship that works in harmony with the environment,” said the presiding bishop of the church David Burton.

He added: “For decades we have looked for innovative ways to use natural resources in our meetinghouses that reflect our commitment as wise stewards of God’s creations.”

Upon completion, the meetinghouse will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

It will also feature a high efficiency heating and cooling system that will connect to the solar power equipment, landscaping designs and plumbing fixtures to also cut water use by more than 50%.

Luke Walsh

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