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Success Stories

South Plains Presbyterian Church, Keswick, VA
South Plains Presbyterian Church, a 125 member congregation in Keswick , Virginia , just outside of Charlottesville , recently replaced the antiquated oil furnace in their historic (1819) sanctuary with a new high efficiency HVAC system. Heat is provided by a pilotless ignition high-efficiency propane furnace, while cooling is provided by a top-rated EnergyStar AC unit. Coupled with a programmable thermostat and efficient and attractive ceiling fans mounted high in the sanctuary ceiling, the congregation expects to save hundreds of dollars annually as well as greatly reducing its CO2 footprint.

St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, Washington , DC
Somewhere in Virginia , a landfill rots. As its organic matter slowly decomposes, it releases methane gas. Because of St. Columba’s and other ?green energy? buyers, some of that methane is captured and used to make electricity, instead of going into the atmosphere and adding to global warming. Because St. Columba’s wants that electricity, a little less coal is burned in a power plant, where its emissions would contribute to acid rain, smog and global warming.

Last fall, the vestry accepted the recommendation of the St. Columba’s Environment Committee and approved the purchase of a year’s worth of renewable energy. The church still gets its power from Pepco, but for an additional 5 percent cost (about $2,000), the parish is no longer adding to the air pollution and health problems caused by fossil fuels.

Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation, Bethesda , MD
Adat Shalom Reconstructionist Congregation is the second synagogue in the US to receive the EPA Energy Star Congregation award. The Center for a New American Dream also briefly featured it in a video, "More Fun, Less Stuff" (http://www.newdream.org).

A few of its major environmentally friendly features were:

• passive solar heating through clerestory windows and dark floor in social hall
• ner tamid (eternal light) hooked up to a photovoltaic (solar energy) cell on the roof
• a designated percentage of wood came from certified sustainable forestry operations
• good zone-by-zone heating and lighting system implemented, with many settings & options
• Compact fluorescent Lights (CFL's), Light Emitting Diodes (LED's) exit signs, and other low-energy fixtures installed throughout the building
• much material from the existing building saved or kept in place for new construction
• mostly local materials were used; limited Jerusalem stone shipped from Israel for symbolism
• maximum number of trees on-site before construction saved by careful planning
• low-water use (xeriscaping), low-maintenance, low-chemical, native landscaping
• low-impact cork flooring used in lobby areas; recycled carpet used in sanctuary & offices
• mostly-recycled-or-limestone composite "vinyl alternative" tile flooring in social hall & classrooms
• permeable driveway and parking lot for groundwater recharge (gravel, then alternative paving)
• wide buy-in sought from congregation on environment as key priority during building process

Congregation Mishkan Shalom Mishkan Shalom, Philadelphia, PA
Congregation Mishkan Shalom Mishkan Shalom, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a 27,000 square-foot, 140-year-old felt mill building that was renovated into a congregational facility with a sanctuary, faith-based school, and social hall. As part of the facility's rehabilitation, all windows were replaced with double-paned, low-emissivity (low-E) windows, and 4 inches of insulation was installed between the decking and the new roof. In addition, all of the facility's hot water pipes were insulated. The heating system was completely revamped with the installation of a high-efficiency boiler controlled by a programmable thermostat. Ceiling fans were installed in the sanctuary to draw rising warm air from the ceiling in the winter, and provide air movement to increase occupant comfort in the summer. The lighting system was improved by installing 36 recessed can lighting fixtures, each with its own ballast and replaceable compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), in place of incandescent lamp fixtures. Motion sensors, occupancy sensors that detect when congregation members or staff are in an area and respond by turning the lighting system on or off, were installed in the bathrooms, chapel, library and sanctuary atrium. Mishkan Shalom also purchased ENERGY STAR qualified office equipment including ten computers with monitors, and printers. In addition, Mishkan Shalom installed a Ner Tamid, or eternal light, powered by its own solar photovoltaic array. All together these upgrades are saving Mishkan Shalom 15,400 kWh of electricity, 1,900 Therms of natural gas, and $5,700 dollars a year while preventing 47,500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually

All Saints Parish, Brookline , MA
All Saints Parish of Brookline, MA, is practicing stewardship of the earth's resources while saving nearly $5,000 a year on its utility bills, despite an increase in operating hours since the upgrade. In addition to religious worship, the congregation uses its space for daycare, public assemblies, and educational activities. All Saints frequently participates with other religious organizations and groups, and is a member of the Massachusetts Interfaith Power and Light (MIP&L).

The Congregation replaced their 30-year-old steam boiler with a high-efficiency gas-fired condensing mode hot-water boiler and hydronic-heating system. They also replaced all of their steam radiators with more efficient units designed for hot water systems. The system was then divided into nine heating zones, each with its own in-space programmable thermostat and a central digital controller for the heating plant. The Congregation's staff has also initiated utility purchasing strategies to reduce natural gas costs, and is purchasing green power generated from 100 percent renewable resources. All Saints has received public recognition from the Boston Globe and the "Green Energy Congregation Award" from Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light. Their combined effort has resulted in gas savings of 6,800 therms, and is preventing nearly 79,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution per year. Thomas Nutt-Powell, parishioner and member of All Saints' Property Committee, encourages other congregations to implement energy-efficiency practices. "We have learned that you can 'do well by doing good' since upgrades save money while they save the earth," said Nutt-Powell. "We hope other congregations will see the long-term financial wisdom of energy efficiency...and will begin to make their energy decisions in light of their faith," he added.

Be the next congregation to add your “Success Story” to this list!