DownloadNov. 17, 2008 issue
Amish go solar, in a simple way
By Mary Beth McCauley The Christian Science Monitor News ServicePage:
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LANCASTER, Pa. — The buggy is in the drive. Trousers flutter on the clothesline. Horses prance as they work the field, their manes flowing, their step high. And mounted on the shed out back are solar panels.
The 139-foot span of Jackson’s Mill Covered Bridge crosses Ontoraro Creek in southeastern Lancaster County, Pa. In the background is an Amish farm. The bridge was built in 1878 and rebuilt in 1985. The photo was taken Nov. 3, a Monday, laundry day for many Amish. — Photo by Dale D. Gehman
Solar energy has been used by a few of the technology-eschewing Amish for decades now. But with soaring energy costs, more families are putting sunlight-collecting panels on their barns and outbuildings. Area dealers report sales of solar systems to the Amish are up 30 percent to 50 percent this year alone.
Unlike the non-Amish — who tend to favor large alternative energy systems that connect directly to the public utility grid — Amish prefer simple stand-alone systems. They use solar panels to power a battery for a specific task — such as running the lights on a buggy or operating a woodshop motor. They don’t use electricity inside the home. Solar energy is replacing propane, gas or diesel to run small motors on farms and in businesses.
“The solar power system is really simple — a couple of panels and a battery,” said Sam Zook of Belmont Solar in Gordonville.
Isn’t this still a bit high-tech for the horse-and-buggy set?
Not at all, Zook said: “The Amish are not completely disconnected from the outside world. There’s always someone running a retail store [nearby] and introducing a new item.”
Whether these are accepted or not is up to church leaders, and rulings differ from congregation to congregation and district to district. Cars and electricity tend to be rejected. And solar is not accepted everywhere yet, said Zook, even in Lancaster County, which is considered one of the nation’s more progressive settlements of Amish.
In general, the Amish as a community are wary of technology creep. Though the march of iPods and halogen lights may seem inevitable, the Amish worry that, if left unchecked, it would undermine their core beliefs and values.
“There are some who will always need everything,” said one Amish shop owner doing transactions by the light of a large window in his store. He does not have solar. Like most Amish, he will speak only if not identified. Particularly on issues that could be divisive for the community, the Amish don’t comment publicly.
“The Amish are not trying to freeze things as they were 30 years ago,” said Stephen Scott of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College. “Each innovation is evaluated as to if it will affect the community, the church. Solar is considered very natural. It’s making use of an alternative energy that’s God-given.”
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Comments
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I think the Amish approach with solar is a good one for us all. Instead of trying to use solar power to enable one to enjoy high consumption without cost, the Amish take a frugal and measured approach. They still use wood to heat their homes but use solar power to power equipment in the barn that otherwise would be propane powered.
I think lots of us could utilize solar in this kind of way, as it is more scalable and requries much less outlay of funds.
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