A new day of action organized by numerous religious organizations and denominations is inspiring faith communities to help the planet. 

According to Inside Climate News, several nonprofits and congregations are rethinking how they power their establishments. To spread the word, groups like Solar Faithful and Michigan Interfaith Power & Light promoted Sun Day. 

Inspired by Earth Day, Sun Day, which took place Sept. 21, is devoted to educating people on climate issues, energy alternatives such as solar power, and other environmental issues and solutions. This year's first Sun Day was a success, and hopefully, it will be the first of many.

Sun Day aims to change religious Americans' views on and responses to critical climate issues. 

"Sun Day represents an opportunity for faith communities to stand up and make it clear that people are concerned," said Rev. Fletcher Harper, the founder of GreenFaith. The goal is to educate people and show them that there is a path toward a cooler, cleaner future. 

"We need a higher power. We need people to have faith and hope that we can win so that they would be willing to get out there and really fight," actress Antonique Smith, a Sun Day spokesperson and co-founder of Climate Revival, remarked. 

Sun Day is also about busting myths. Although many people think solar power is too expensive, it can actually help people save money on energy bills. 

Michigan Interfaith Power & Light helped the New Mount Hermon Church make eco-friendly upgrades, including solar panels. According to ICN, this has reduced the church's monthly energy bills by 30%. 

Solar panels have also made the church a haven for the community during power outages and extreme weather events. 

Environmentalist Bill McKibben said about solar power, per ICN: "It's one of the most obvious, straightforward, and commonsense sources. It's not the Whole Foods but the Costco of energy." Costco is well-known for its excellent deals and savings. 

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Solar Faithful board member Steve Mulder described religious communities as a "sleeping giant" in the world of clean energy, and the organizers of Sun Day want to wake that giant. This year, countless faith communities participated, from Chicago's Unitarian Church of Evanston to Baltimore's Jewish community. 

It's not just solar panels. Heat pumps, efficient water appliances, LED lights, and proper insulation are more upgrades that places of worship can adopt. Every penny they save on utilities can go toward supporting and enriching their communities. 

"If faith communities came together, we could really see impacts in our world," Rev. Jay Horton observed.

Horton sees more people of faith recognizing the impact they could have. He noted that many are starting to realize that "if we want to change this, we've got to do it ourselves."

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