Energy Savings is Music to the Church of Saint Cecilia’s Ears (and finances)
Starting the Journey
The Church of Saint Cecilia in Saint Paul contacted EnerChange to identify energy cost savings and evaluate their HVAC system for improvements.
A thorough energy audit revealed that programmable thermostats were commonly put on hold, and inefficient lighting was still present. A recommendation was made to install a web-based control system that uses CO2 demand-controlled ventilation and free cooling to reduce HVAC operating costs. Proposals were also sourced to establish the cost of a lighting retrofit.
Getting Results
While the controls proposal was coming together, a free lighting install program became available, and Saint Cecilia was quickly approved for the program, greatly reducing the total cost to replace their remaining fluorescent lights.
EnerChange found a custom rebate for the HVAC controls, further reducing the cost of the project. With two major items off the checklist, the Church of Saint Cecilia is looking forward to a cool summer with more reliable HVAC operation and lower bills.
Total Incentives Earned: $7,727
Estimated Annual Energy Savings: $3,714
Project Simple Payback: 2 years
After our first round of projects, we checked in with Colleen Smith, Parish Operations & Safe Environment for Church of Saint Cecilia for a quick Q & A:
What was your main motivation for seeking an energy audit for Church of Saint Cecilia?
It is important to this community that we model good stewardship of our resources. We are always looking for ways to be "greener" and to spend our money wisely. Meeting with Patrick and his team was a great opportunity for us to look at our entire operation and be strategic about what changes would be most effective for our consumption as well as what was going to yield the best results economically.
How was your experience working with EnerChange?
Everything was smooth. Patrick explained things to us every step of the way and was very responsive whenever we had questions or needed follow up.
How will this impact your congregation moving forward?
As a result of our audit, we were already able to complete 2 projects that will lead to immediate cost savings and energy efficiency. Because of EnerChange's help with connecting us to contractors and taking care of rebate applications, these projects were easy to coordinate and have completed.
Want to save energy and money in your nonprofit? Get in touch with EnerChange today by visiting our “contact us” page.