America is home to roughly five percent of the world’s population, but the country accounts for almost 25 percent of the world’s energy consumption according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Comparatively, China is home to over 20 percent of the world’s population but consumes just 13 percent of the energy used worldwide.
So what’s a church to do when considering this waste, all while worrying about tightening budgets, declining membership, and evolving and increasing social issues?
If you ask long-time Methodist Bruce Wheaton, the Residential & Commercial Programs Manager at Michigan Energy Options and member of University UMC in East Lansing, the answer is simple: follow the call of the UMC Book of Resolutions which says to be more aligned with natural resources, by getting informed, evaluating options and following through with plans.
As Wheaton is trying to convince people, becoming more energy efficient isn’t about understanding the complex science of things like biomass gasification and biorefinery technologies, it’s about committing to a change and finding people to educate church communities.Recently Wheaton held a faith-based energy efficiency workshop for about 70 area church staff and facility managers in the Greater Lansing area and he’s at the forefront of trying to get churches and other non-profits and small businesses in the state to analyze their energy use.
Wheaton said it costs around $300 for an energy evaluation of non-profits up to 10,000 square feet and then another few cents per square foot up to 50,000
As for the basics of getting fit to go green there are a variety of things churches can do on their own to become community leaders of positive change.
Evaluating
Wheaton said the first step is as easy as spending a few hours going over what type of energy sources a church is using.
A good place to start is to look at energy consumption for the last 12 months and determine trends and areas of the largest use.
“A big impact is just in the lighting systems. (Churches) can decrease their lighting costs tremendously just by installing energy efficient tube fluorescent lights and LED in signs and CFL lighting instead of incandescent lights,” he said. “Another thing they can do is start to tighten up their building structure, and decrease air leakage through the shell of the building, just with caulking, weather stripping, sealants and the like.”
Taking into account the lighting and heating used when a church is empty or hardly inhabited can help.
It is also useful to see what older small appliances could be replaced with newer Energy Star rated electronics. Churches should also consider turning off equipment when not in use and learn how to use on/off timers for vending machines and other appliances.
Wheaton said that finding ways to reduce a church’s energy costs by 25 percent can equal a 1-2 percent reduction in an annual budget.
So for a church with a $500,000 annual budget, a cost savings of nearly $7,000 can quickly be found.
Looking for incentives
The cost savings is not only available in the form of lower energy bills, there are plenty of monetary incentives for those willing to look.
“There are resources through the state of Michigan, or through a place online called Desires USA, where they list all of the grants available for energy efficiency,” Wheaton said.
“Another way they can find funding is through incentives from their utility companies. A lot of times they offer fairly good –sized rebates on things such as the heating systems or water-heating or air conditioning units.”
Contacting representatives or going to the Web sites of businesses like Consumers Energy or Detroit Edison are a great place for church’s to start.
The State of Michigan also offers Energy Efficiency Grants and building costs can be lowered through programs like Rebuild Michigan IEE.
Planning
After analyzing ways to improve energy efficiency, Wheaton said a church needs to make a plan and stick to it.
On Web sites like Energy Star (www.energystar.gov) and The Web of Creation (www.webofcreation.org) churches can create energy portfolios and follow guides for congregations trying to get “greener.”
Wheatson said a plan should track energy use changes and set attainable goals for space heating and cooling energy, electrical lighting, plug loads and water consumption and management.
Educating
The options are nearly endless and becoming a smarter, more environmentally church is not all that hard, but Wheaton said the toughest challenge is educating people.
“A lot more efficient communication could be done, such as e-mails and flyers sent out about the different programs and incentives from utilities and state programs and moneys available to,” he said.
“It’s a big job to change people’s minds or make them aware of what’s possible, so like with any church, group or individual it’s a tough job to change behavior. There’s always multiple committees you have to educate over a long period of time and we just have to be consistent with getting the message out there.”
Churches need to educate staff and membership, encourage volunteer involvement in implementing change and create protocols for how to proceed with projects.
“It will take clear concise communication, objective education, and leadership from the UMC organization at all levels,” Wheaton said in an e-mail. “The barriers are the seven deadly sins. Fear breeds war, love makes all things possible.”
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