Georgia Interfaith Power & Light

Energy Assessment

 

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 432 Forest Hill Road, Macon, 31210

April 25, 2009

Auditors: Dan May, Woody Bartlett, Jeff Ross-Bain       

Congregational Participants: Philip McCreanor, Andrew Layton, Debbie Vetter, Roz Goudeau, Lynne Bryan, Kay Hricik and Tracie Jenkins

 

Summary of the Most Important Findings

• The building is in critical need of a weatherization upgrade.  This would include effectively insulating the attic (reason current insulation is not effective is stated below), and insulating and installing a vapor barrier in the basement and crawl areas.
• Replace all non-programmable thermostats with programmable ones, and set programs of all thermostats in accord with scheduled use of the room(s) involved. 
• Replace T-12 tubular fluorescent lights that are used much (over 40-50 hours per week) with T-8 bulbs; this will entail ballast replacement at the same time.  Replace frequently used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
• Retrofit or replace incandescent exit signs with LED signs.
• Adjust temperature of water heaters to 120o.
• Have the HVAC system (including ducts, vents, and grilles) evaluated by a professional engineer.  This evaluation is best done after making all changes that might be expected to affect heating and cooling loads, such as insulation upgrades, switch to more efficient lighting, sealing gaps in envelope, etc.

The Report

 

Financial Considerations

There are many opportunities for energy improvements at St. Francis several of them low cost with a very quick payback.  However, in order to get specific estimates of savings and paybacks on individual projects, a more extensive assessment may be needed.  We have attempted to give a rough idea of the cost of the recommendations below as follows:

(0) No cost.  Behavioral change only.

($) Minor cost. Most likely may be performed by a member of the congregation.

($$) Minor to moderate cost. May be performed by a member of the congregation or may require a licensed professional.

($$$) Substantial cost. Most likely requires significant capital expense and licensed professional to complete.

 

In general, the more extensive and expensive changes will save more energy, and thus more money in the form of lower utility bills. However, there is not an exact correlation between money spent and energy savings: Some inexpensive alterations can quickly save a considerable amount of energy and money, and some expensive ones may not.  A good way to think of expense is in terms of “payback” – the number of months or years it will take to recoup an upfront outlay through reduced electricity and/or gas bills. 

 

Energy savings and payback periods are difficult to predict, since there are so many variables.  Sometimes it’s not too difficult – e.g., replacing an incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent can save a lot and pay for itself quickly if the light being replaced is used 8 hours a day, but not if it is only used 3 hours a week.  Other savings may be dependent on a number of complicated factors.  For example, replacing a low-efficiency furnace with a high efficiency model, while expensive, might save a great deal, or might not, depending on (among other things) how leaky the building and the duct system are. 

 

Building History and Use

St. Francis consists of one large, sprawling building, largely on a single level.  It is an adapted reuse of the buildings of Appleton Church Home, founded in 1868 with the buildings built in the early part of the 20th Century.  One wing is rented to a Montessori school. 

 

Current Energy Use

The area of the building is 14,293 square feet.  Using energy bills for 2008, we calculate that the average energy use per square foot of the building is 48.1 kBtu/square foot/year. This is considerably higher than the regional average of 36 kBtu/square foot/year for houses of worship. 

 

The attached Excel file shows our calculations and energy use in relation to heating and cooling degree-days.  Heating degree-days (HDD) and cooling degree-days (CDD) are indices that measure the estimated demand for energy to heat or cool a building based on the external temperature.  When temperatures in a given month are low, for instance, the number of heating degree-days is high, as is the demand for energy to heat the building.  Because cooling units are powered by electricity, we have graphed cooling degree-days compared to electricity use [Elec & CDD].  We didn’t graph propane use vs. HDD because data on propane use per month is not available, but we used one year’s worth of propane use to calculate the total energy use, and energy use per square foot, for 2008.

 

Electricity demand is influenced by cooling needs, but is also influenced by the baseline loads of lighting, equipment, and other energy demands throughout the year.  However, we see that greatest electricity demand closely correlates with highest number of cooling degree-days [Elec & CDD].  The baseline electric demand of the building (without air conditioning) seems to average roughly 900 kWh per month (as indicated during those months with fewer degree-days). 

 

Monitoring electricity and propane use throughout the year can help determine whether the demand on the system is reasonable given past usage, and can also allow comparisons after energy efficient improvements have been made.  If unusually high usages are noted, an effort should be made to determine whether they reflect explanable increased use of the building or demand due to external temperatures or whether they might indicate malfunctioning equipment or other maintenance issues.

 

Specific Recommendations

 

HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) Systems

It is outside the scope of this assessment to provide specific recommendations for the heating and air conditioning systems at use in the building.  However, when you need to replace an HVAC system, a more extensive assessment by a professional engineer may be needed to identify your specific needs. New units should be properly sized for the space and usage of your building(s).  Running equipment that is too large for the demands placed on it is inefficient (and therefore more expensive to run than it might be.)  Also, an oversized AC system will cycle on and off too frequently and be unable to sufficiently dehumidify the space, resulting in discomfort and possibly mold problems.  On the other hand, with proper dehumidification comfort is enhanced such that a higher thermostat setting may be used.  It may be that the systems initially had been appropriately sized, but with improvements made to the building a smaller system might be more appropriately installed should you need to replace any equipment.  Evaluations of equipment should not be done until other changes that can influence demand have been made – sealing leaky doors and windows, installing storms windows, replacing heat-generating incandescent lighting, sealing heating/cooling ducts as necessary (this is especially important to do before evaluation), and so forth.

 

Because systems may be in place for many years, it is imperative to install the most efficient equipment available when replacements are being made to insure maximum energy savings.  Although efficiency upgrades may cost more initially, they will pay for themselves through energy savings and increased comfort, and will generally cost less than retrofits or other improvements installed on less-efficient systems.  Beware of just getting the advice of an HVAC installer. They have limited engineering knowledge and, however honest they might be, are pushing particular brands of equipment. A professional engineer can be much more useful, particularly with larger systems. ($$$)

 

However, we did note the following specifics regarding your HVAC system(s), controls, ductwork and individual room units:

 

HVAC System –

• The AC unit serving (some of) the school wing is in an uninsulated attic.  On the day of the audit (at perhaps 1:00 pm) with an outside temperature in the 80s, the attic was very hot.  This will reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of the system.  Should seriously consider insulating the underside of the roof, bringing the attic space inside the conditioned space.  ($$$)
• Attic HVAC unit uses 4” thick filter; however, the filter is taped in place in-line with duct and does not have a proper filter holder installed. ($)
• The school area has window AC/heating units, suggesting that the delivery of conditioned air is insufficient.  Also, it was reported that these rooms are quite cold in winter.  This could be partly due to the location (uninsulated attic) of the unit and the ducts, and/or an insufficiency of the delivery system (ducts.)  We did observe that the return airflow grille in the ceiling was very dirty, which would contribute to this problem.  This should be cleaned regularly, and it might be useful to evaluate the ducts (see below.)  (Part of the reason for these rooms being cold in the winter is that several of the rooms have two, and occasionally three, exterior walls, with presumably no insulation and single-pane windows.)
• See comments on trapdoors and insulation in the Building Envelope section below.
• The HVAC systems in this building appear to be in need of a major overhaul. Air distribution devices (grilles) seem to be quite small and return air paths are not clear. System control appears to be haphazard. It is recommended that an engineering survey be performed to determine the current status of the existing equipment and plans for future HVAC system upgrades be developed but only in conjunction with building envelope and weatherization activities.
• It is recommended that an HVAC system “air balance” study be completed to ensure that proper airflows are reaching all spaces. ($$)
• Clean debris away from outdoor AC units

Controls –

• There were several non-programmable thermostats still being used.  One (in the school area) had a sign on it requesting that the heat not be set above 71 degrees (an appropriate upper limit for heating.)  However, in the Sunday school/office wing (unoccupied, as the audit was conducted on a Saturday), the air conditioning was running and the (non-programmable) thermostat was set to cool at 71 degrees.  This is too low a temperature for cooling, but what is worse is that it had not been set back to a higher level before the workers left for the weekend.
• Thermostats should be replaced with programmable units with temporary override, and users of the building should be educated about their use.  Programmable thermostats may be available for as little as $50 and are easily installed; they can considerably decrease energy use.  Programmable thermostats can be set to only turn on the unit when activities are scheduled for the space.  In general, programmable thermostats may be temporarily over-ridden without affecting the program. Programs should be reviewed on a regular basis to insure that they are still reflective of building use. ($$)
• AC in main hall was on, even though it was a Saturday.  Hall has programmable thermostat – check settings.
• Recommended thermostat settings are around 78° for air conditioning and 68° for heat when the room is in use, 85o and 55o when unoccupied.  .  (0)
• If the target settings are more than a few degrees from temperatures that the congregation is used to, the settings can be gradually brought to the target by changing them one degree at a time every couple of weeks. 
• It may be necessary to educate the congregation and/or post signs by thermostats on procedures for temporarily overriding a programmed temperature, in particular to make sure that the program is returned to at the end of the event, rather than allowed to remain at the adjusted temperature and thus unnecessarily cooling or heating an unoccupied space. (0)  Alternatively, locking thermostat covers may be installed. ($)
• In addition, meetings and other building uses should be intentionally scheduled to occur on specific nights and in concentrated areas of the buildings as much as possible to reduce the activation of an entire system for a single meeting. (0)

 

Ductwork -

• The few ducts the audit team observed appeared to be in good condition, though they were mostly inaccessible in the unconditioned attic, and so we didn’t get a close look.  They should be evaluated, as leaky ductwork can greatly decrease the efficiency of central heating and air conditioning systems, as conditioned air leaks into non-occupied spaces, forcing the system to work harder.  This is of most concern when ducts run through an attic, crawlspace or other non-conditioned space, rather than where ducts are exposed in conditioned spaces.  A visual inspection can spot some problems. Leaky joints and small breaks can be repaired with mastic or mastic tape.  With lots of hidden or difficult-to-access ductwork, it is sometimes necessary to conduct a duct pressurization test to spot all of the leaks. ($-$$)

 

Individual Room Units -

• A few rooms in the school had supplementary window air conditioning/heating units.  To insure that individual room units are not left on, reminder signs should be posted in all rooms with individual units.  (0)
• Care should be taken to make sure that there is proper sealing around all window units to prevent loss of conditioned air to the outside. Window AC units (everywhere throughout the building) needs foam board rather than pleating for air sealing. And be sure there is not an air leak at the top of the window that was opened to install the window unit. ($)

Other Matters:

• A regular maintenance schedule should be followed to ensure that air filters are changed regularly (every 1-3 months) and that systems are functioning properly in order to ensure that equipment runs at peak efficiency, and to maintain good indoor air quality. ($-$$)
• GIPL recommends using pleated filters in HVAC equipment. ($)
• Vegetation should be clipped or removed to allow at least 3 feet on all sides of air conditioner compressors.
• The insulation on several of the coolant pipes from the outside AC units is degrading and should be replaced. ($)
• The temperature in the church building was 68 degrees at the time of the audit. This is not at all necessary and probably results from misinformed concern for the organ.  It is possible to let the sanctuary go colder/hotter than is done without damage to the organ.  Sometimes, a small humidifier and/or a dehumidifier in the organ area is enough to protect it, rather than heating or cooling an entire huge room all of the time.  See document, “Guidelines for Pipe Organ Temperature Control” (www.gipl.org/organs.html).
• Also, was not sure if overhead HVAC system in school wing is utilized or abandoned, but if used, then access is very difficult via installed vertical ladders and access hatch in crowded closets. Modify building to allow easier access to attic space and attic mounted equipment.

 

Lighting

Lighting is one of the biggest energy users in any building.  Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce energy used on lighting. We noted particularly:

 

Fluorescent Tube lighting – The majority of fluorescent tube lighting in use is T-12 (1.5” diameter) bulbs and fixtures.  T-8 (1” diameter) bulbs, which were observed in a few places, are as much as 40% more efficient than T-12s, and T-5 (5/8” diameter) bulbs are as much as 20% more efficient than T-8s.  Upgrading to more efficient bulbs requires replacement of the ballast of the lamp as well (and, in the case of T5s, the entire fixture must be replaced.)  No T12s will be manufactured in the U.S. after January 2010.

• Frequently used fluorescent tube fixtures that currently use T-12 bulbs should be replaced with T-8 bulbs with electronic ballasts. If the T-12 bulbs are on 10 hours a day (50 hours a week), replacing them and their ballasts with more efficient bulbs and ballasts has a 5-year payback.
• For T-12 lights that are used less frequently, you might keep 34-watt T-12 bulbs on hand, to replace the current (presumably) 40-watt bulbs, unless the current light is just barely sufficient.  In the case of T-8s, 28-watt replacement bulbs can be kept rather than the customary 32-watt bulbs.  No ballast replacement is involved here.
• In some cases, fixtures are made to hold four bulbs, but only two were on. Older fixtures are designed to work in series such that when bulbs are missing, the fixture actually wastes energy in order to achieve performance out of the installed lamps.  It is more efficient to install all lamps in a particular fixture and adjust the lens or wattage of the bulb, or the number of active fixtures, to reduce the light produced in a given area. ($)
• The newly refurbished basement area has been fitted with always-on safety egress lights, which is unusual in these settings. Confirm that this is a code requirement and if so, and if allowed by code, consider putting them on occupancy sensor controls, or with battery pack lights that only come on during an electrical failure. (Each 40 watt bulb that is on all the time is responsible for about 500 lbs/year of carbon dioxide emissions, and costs $25 per year in electricity costs) ($$)

Incandescent lights

• Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use approximately 25% of the electricity for the same amount of light output as an incandescent bulb, and last 6-7 times longer.  Incandescent bulbs that are used more than a few hours per week should be replaced with CFLs.  Payback from energy savings can be as quick as 6 months.  Select CFLs with a lumen (light output) rating similar to the incandescent bulb being replaced, or with about ¼ of the wattage rating.  Most CFLs produce a “warm” light close to that we experience with incandescent lamps; avoid those labeled “Daylight”, unless you want a “cool” light. ($)
• Incandescent bulbs that are used frequently should be replaced now; those used infrequently can be replaced when the bulb burns out – but be sure to have a stock of appropriate CFLs on hand for this purpose (and don’t keep incandescents in stock.)
• Don’t forget that there are many forms of CFL, not just the popular “spring form” bulb.  These include spots and globes, and bulbs with candelabra and pin bases.  Three-way and dimmable bulbs are also available, and some new low-mercury bulbs (under 2 milligrams) are now on the market.  All of these may be obtained from the Interfaith Power & Light shopping site (see Resources section below.)
• When buying CFLs, select those with the Energy Star rating.
• Sanctuary – The Sanctuary is lit basically with candelabra based incandescent bulbs that are on a dimmer switch. There is no good technology yet for replacing these bulbs with CFLs. However, it is important to be sure the lights are turned off when the space is not in use.

 

Exit Signs –Building safety codes require that exit signs be on 24 hours a day.  Because of this, efficiency improvements can have a high impact on energy usage.  High-efficiency LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs typically use 2-4 watts of electricity versus the 20-40 watts generally used by incandescent bulbs.  Also, LED bulbs last far longer than do incandescents (or even fluorescents), so there will also be savings in maintenance costs for replacing bulbs and less chance that needed signs will not be lit.

• Several Exit signs still have incandescent bulbs, and some of these were burned out.  All exit signs should be replaced (in the case of free-mounted signs) or retrofitted (in the case of inset signs) to use LED bulbs. This will save 90% of the electricity for fixtures that must remain on at all times.  Payback for such replacements is generally less than six months. ($-$$)

Controls – In some cases, lights in rooms were left on even though the rooms were unoccupied – we observed this in the church office.

• In many parts of the building, simply reminding people to turn lights off may be sufficient to avoid energy waste.  A cheap and easy way to encourage this is to post reminders about turning lights off which can be seen on the way out of the room.  (0)
• In some cases, such as bathrooms, timer switches may be used to insure that lights automatically shut off after a particular period of time, say 15 minutes.  Occupancy sensor (motion detector) light switches set for their maximum time (e.g., 15 minutes) ought to allow enough time even if someone is in a bathroom stall, although since some may be frightened of being trapped in a dark bathroom, this decision could spark a spirited congregational debate. We were pleased to see that St. Francis has installed occupancy sensors in the rest rooms across from the fellowship hall. ($-$$) 
• In other rooms, occupancy sensors may be the most effective way to reduce energy waste.  This is particular recommended for areas where occupants may be in and out and may either forget to turn off the lights or may choose to leave them on because they believe someone else will come in soon, and for infrequently-used rooms with solid doors where a light left on may not be detected for several hours.  ($-$$)

Daylighting – Some rooms have lots of windows, allowing for a great deal of daylighting and making daytime artificial lighting unnecessary for most purposes.  Yet most people turn the lights on anyway.  This is probably just a habit, and they probably don’t think of the alternative.  Your congregation’s “green team” might consider turning the lights off (during the day, of course) when the rooms are occupied, then asking if folks feel they need the electric lights. (-$)

 

Equipment

Depending on the use of a building, appliances, office equipment, electronics, and other equipment can be significant energy users.  One way to decrease energy use by equipment and appliances is to purchase equipment that carries the Energy Star label when it is necessary to replace a piece of equipment.  Energy Star is a government rating system that certifies that equipment is significantly more energy efficient than standard. For equipment that cannot be replaced by Energy Star products, making sure that it is turned off or unplugged when not in use can reduce energy use significantly.

 

Kitchen Equipment

• An assessment should be made of kitchen and food storage needs to insure that all refrigerators are being used and are generally kept fairly full.  Because refrigerators are on all the time, unnecessary equipment can represent substantial energy waste.  (0)
• If natural gas powered equipment is not used year-round, it may be possible to avoid paying line charges on gas service by disconnecting gas service during the summer.  However, consideration will need to be taken of reconnection charges as well as the possibility that the equipment will be used in the summer. (0)
• Be sure to run dishwashers only when full.
• If equipment needs replacing in the future, choose equipment that is Energy Star rated.  ($$)

Water Heaters

• Energy used to heat water can be reduced by installing foam insulating sleeves on the hot water pipe leaving the water heater – at the very least, insulate the first six feet of pipe, and preferably more. Wrapping even new water heaters in an insulating jacket helps increase the efficiency of holding the temperature of the water, reducing the need to continually heat it. ($)
• The water in the kitchen sink was measured at 143 degrees.  This is far hotter than needed for any purpose; the water heater should be adjusted to deliver 120 degree water. (0)
• In the school kitchenette area, the audit team ran the hot water for a long time, but it didn’t warm up at all.  Either the water heater is far from this sink, or the water heater is on a timer and was off, or it is disconnected.  If it is on a timer, this is a good idea in situations where there is no call for hot water over substantial periods of time (such as a weekend)  If the heater has been disconnected because there is no need for hot water, this is good – but it would be wise then to close down the hot water faucet (if it is a separate faucet) or post a sign, to prevent the wasting of water by somebody who hoped to get some hot water by running it for a long time.
• If it a case of the heater being far from the sink, but hot water is needed, it might be worth considering placing a small instantaneous heater under the sink. ($$)
• Reattach the insulation around the water heater in the Youth Room. (0)

Office Equipment – Many types of office equipment pull power even when they are not in use or are in “standby” or “sleep” mode.  Monitor screen savers do not save energy.  If at all possible, equipment should be completely shut off and even unplugged when not in use to prevent these “energy vampires” from using power. 

• In general, all equipment should be turned off when not in use for a considerable time periods – long lunch hours and overnight.  An easy way to do this with computer and office equipment is to plug all equipment into a single power strip or surge protector and simply shut that off at the end of the day. Current computer technology will not be adversely affected by the frequent turning on and off of the equipment. (0-$)
• For shorter periods of inactivity, set the computer or copier to go into sleep or hibernate mode to reduce power consumption quite a bit.
• Placing reminder signs and educating office staff and volunteers on shutting down equipment and lights should be sufficient to prevent equipment from being left on. (0)
• When equipment is due to be replaced, make sure to purchase Energy Star rated computers and office equipment. ($-$$)

Other Equipment –

• Care should be taken to make sure that all equipment is turned off when it is not in use.  Some should be unplugged.  The TV in the Sunday School room was drawing 24 watts while “off” but plugged in; this would cost about $16 per year. This may require additional education of users of the building, so that they know how to turn off equipment if they use it and/or find it left on. (0)

Water Coolers and Vending Machines ­–

• Water coolers are plugged in and operational 24 hours a day, but may only be used a few hours a week. Water coolers may be unplugged, converting them to water fountains.  If this is not acceptable, they may be placed on timers to reduce their use of energy when the building is unoccupied.  Simple timers such as those available at a home improvement store should be sufficient for water fountains. ($)
• The same would apply to non-drink vending machines.  Drink machines may need more specialized timers (such as the VendingMiser), which monitor refrigeration temperatures as well as power use. ($$)  Using a Kill-a-Watt device on the soft drink machine, we found that when the compressor motor was running, it drew 450 watts; when it was not running, the draw was 69 watts.  If the compressor were to run all of the time, it would be responsible for over 6,000 lbs of carbon dioxide emissions a year, and cost about $500 in electricity (actual figures would depend on specifics of electricity sources and rates.)  If the compressor never ran, the annual figures would be over 950 lbs and $80.

Building Envelope

The building envelope consists of the parts of the building that separate the interior from the exterior (walls, roof, windows, and doors). 

 

Attic/Ceiling / Walls –

• All areas where water spots are noticeable should be inspected to ensure that there are no leakage issues. We saw that the leak in the Foyer to the Parish Hall was caused by an uncapped pipe near the chimney going directly outside to the roof. ($-$$)
• Closet in [bird nest] classroom has direct opening to attic. Gaps in the ceiling here and elsewhere should be repaired to prevent conditioned air loss. ($$-$$$)
• Attic over the Foyer outside the Parish Hall (and all attics it appears) needs insulation (picture).

 

 

• The blown-in insulation covering the attic floor over the school was partly displaced in the area of the trap door (see picture).  This kind of insulation is frequently displaced, and hard to keep in place, when there is any work being done in the attic.  Attic insulation needs upgrading, for both energy efficiency and comfort reasons.  Under-the-roof spray-on icynene insulation should be considered. ($$$)

 

 

 

• Throughout the building it is evident that insulation is either poorly applied or non-existent, and there are numerous places where the outdoor conditions communicate directly with indoor conditioned space. This can create an unnecessary expense, create health problems by encouraging fungal growth (mold), and lead to structural degradation due to excess moisture. It is recommended that a formal weatherization upgrade be performed on this building.
• The trapdoor to one of the attic area above the school was open when we arrived.  All such trapdoors should be insulated. ($)

 

Doors –

• Gaps were observed around doors in the library, the inner and outer doors at the entrance to the church as well as the Montessori middle school room; these can be easily sealed with weather stripping, decreasing conditioned air loss. ($)
• Make sure that areas around all doorframes are properly sealed and caulked. ($)

Windows –

• All windows should be inspected, sealed, and weather-stripped to reduce conditioned air loss and increase comfort. ($-$$)
• Window AC units throughout the building need foam board rather than pleating for air sealing. Be sure that there is not an air gap at the top of the window that has been opened to install the window unit. ($)
• Gap formed by half-open window in main hall needs sealing.
• Windows are all single-glazed, and so are sites of considerable heat loss and gain.  While the payback period on window replacement is usually fairly long, should you have occasion to replace any windows, the new ones certainly should be double- or triple-glazed.
• Insulating curtains may be installed on windows facing north to prevent heat loss. In the case of the library, which is particularly cold, they should be tried on all of the windows.  Or perhaps it might help to replace the windows with triply glazed windows, to retard some of the heat loss. ($$$) 
• Reflective blinds or curtains may be installed on east, south, and west windows to reduce or eliminate solar gain and glare from those windows.  As allowed by use, these blinds should be left open in the cold months to allow the sun to warm the rooms. They should also be left closed during warm months when rooms are not in use to prevent the sun from warming the rooms, thus reducing the air conditioning demand.  ($-$$)

Exterior Walls – Buildings sometimes have gaps in the exterior walls where pipes or electric conduit pass through the walls. 

• Such gaps were observed from the outside in several places where electric cable penetrates.  Also, a hole about 15 feet above floor level was observed in one of the schoolrooms.  These are sites of loss of conditioned air.  A complete inspection of the building should be made, and any gaps be filled with caulk or expanding foam spray. ($)
• A storm window is partly off, above the old boiler (picture).

 

Water

This assessment did not focus primarily on water.  However, water use is closely related to energy use and especially in this period of drought, water use should be closely monitored.

• All faucets and toilets should be inspected for leaks and repaired to reduce water loss.  Where possible, aerators should be installed on faucets to reduce water use This is particularly important in the kitchen, where flow rates seemed very high. ($)
•  When replacement of toilets is necessary, consider installing dual-flush toilets. ($$)

Bathrooms -

• Tank toilets are in use in many bathrooms.  If these toilets use over 2 gallons per flush, it may be possible to reduce water use, by placing an object in the tank to displace up to a gallon of water.  A two-liter bottle or gallon jug full of water will suffice, if there’s room. ($)

 

Outside Watering

Another area we didn’t really focus on was outdoor water conservation.  With water resources predicted to be more scarce in the future due to this period of extended drought, it might be helpful to look at installing a cistern or rain barrel system of collecting water from the roofs to use for outdoor landscape watering.  There are companies that can assess the costs and benefits of installing such a system for you.

Recycling and Precycling

Recycling saves energy because less energy is required to make a product from previous product than from raw materials.  This is especially true for aluminum, where making drink cans from preceding cans uses only 5% of the energy needed to make them from raw materials.  Paper and glass yield lesser though still considerable savings.  (“Precycling” is even better – not using it in the first place.)

• You need to set up a paper recycling system in the office, at least, and preferably for the whole congregation (Sunday bulletins, etc.)  Recycling saves more energy than you realize and makes a statement to the congregation regarding the importance of this form of stewardship. ($)
• Recycling of glass, plastic, and aluminum should also be done. ($)

Look into use of paper products with as high as possible post-consumer content for bathroom, kitchen, and office paper.  (Staples may have office paper that isn’t too much more expensive.) ($)

 

Other Notes

•  Clean the gutters, and cut back / remove all vegetation that touches roof and interferes with gutter operation.
• In several places, the grade sloped toward building rather than sloping away from building. Correct this situation by adding dirt and slope grade so that water flows away from the building.
• Downspout extensions: re-attach where removed and install where non-existent.  ($)
• Youth Room – reattach insulation around water heater; install a cap on abandoned exhaust pipe in chimney (picture); clean up and organize electrical panel; secure outside door to lawnmower room.

• Downstairs storage room – investigate water coming from beneath furnace (condensate pipe appears to be outside) (Fig. 1); gas input pipe needs a “dirt leg (Fig. 2);” flexible pipe from bathroom exhaust (Fig. 3) should go outside, not into furnace room.

  

             Fig 1                                                         Fig. 2

 

                              Fig. 3

• Outside Mechanical Room -- keep garden hoses off of the floor drain.
• 4th and 5th grade room – put cover on electrical box in the ceiling.
• Crawlspace under Sunday school wing – place plastic sheeting on dirt floor as a moisture barrier, and insulation under the floor (picture); weather-strip the door to crawl space; blow foam into the overhead board along the wall to seal air penetration from crawl space.

 

• The crawl space is in critical need of refurbishment and currently poses a potential health and safety issue. The crawl spaces have raw dirt floors with no water or vapor barrier (typically plastic sheeting) installed. In many places, the dirt floors have standing water. Access to the crawl spaces are not sealed allowing anyone to access via removed doors and unprotected vent openings, posing a potential safety issue. Debris, waste, abandoned equipment and building materials are stored in these spaces.
• It is recommended that all redundant and abandoned equipment such as boilers, piping, electrical service air conditioners and associated devices be removed from the site and recycled where appropriate. Some of this equipment may pose hazardous waste abatement issues.  Be sure to capture any refrigerant. (0)
• Mechanical room has strong odor suggestive of dead animal or sewer gas escape – investigate. (0)
• In teenager basement area there are signs of water intrusion at door and vinyl tile has pink spots, indicating probable mold growth.

Resources

• A variety of energy- and water-saving devices may be found at the Interfaith Power & Light “shopping cart” – www.shopipl.org.  Use of this site will also afford the tracking, by congregation, of energy savings resulting from the devices bought here.  In addition to buying devices recommended in this assessment, congregations are encouraged to aggregate orders from all interested congregants, with the possibility of greater discounts on larger orders.  As a GIPL member, St. Francis’ Church and its congregants can obtain an additional 10% discount by using the promotional code shopipl at checkout.
• GIPL is offering energy improvement matching grants for participating congregations of up to $25,000 to help congregations institute changes that would otherwise be cost-prohibitive, while at the same time involving them in further efforts to implement environmental stewardship programs.  The next deadline is November 15, 2009.  For more information:    http://www.gipl.org/grant
• A helpful tool for the kinds of matters we present here, and more, is the Energy Star Guide for Congregations, Putting Energy into Stewardship, which has been recently updated and expanded.  The guide is available for reading and download at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=congregations_guidebook.congregations_guidebook
• Southface Energy Institute (in Atlanta), can recommend energy efficiency steps to take and possibly recommend contractors to carry out work:  www.southface.org
• Some of GIPL’s congregations have been able to save on utility bills with the assistance of Expo Energy.  Ray Segars (rsegars@expo-energy.com, 866-530-EXPO) may be able to negotiate lower rates from Georgia Power, will determine the correctness of your meter readings, and can direct you to the best natural gas supplier.