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Congregations |
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According to a
Did You Know? If America’s more than 300,000 houses of worship cut energy use by 10 percent… Nearly $200 million would be saved for congregations’ missions and other priorities. More than 5.4 billion kWh of electricity would be available without additional cost and pollution.
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"We do not inherit our world from our ancestors; We borrow it from our children" The congregation building is an emblem of our faith and serves as the physical hub of our communal life. However, when we spend too much money on building and maintenance we divert funds from other projects which serve our mission. The financial advantages of an environmentally responsible building are great, especially for congregation buildings which are generally in place for the long term and will be used for many years. A stable organization such as a congregation is an ideal candidate for green building. The life-use of the facility is likely to be under one owner, thereby creating opportunity to realize maximum benefit of design and installations. Most religious traditions teach stewardship of financial and natural resources. Energy efficiency is an excellent means of achieving both of these objectives at the same time, because energy saved is both money saved and pollution prevented. Energy costs represent a significant portion of congregation budgets. While individual congregation expenditures vary based on hours of operation, size and utility rates, a 1999 U.S. Department of Energy commercial buildings energy consumption survey found that congregations spend an average of $4,600 on energy costs each year. Large, mega-church-sized facilities can spend close to that each month during their harsher seasons. Worship facility managers have an opportunity to save money and be environmentally responsible by improving the energy efficiency of their HVAC system and minimizing building energy use, all while responding to the diverse needs of their congregations. Congregation Energy Related Building Data The below table from the Energy Information Administration shows some of the important energy data for the places of worship in the United States. The numbers alone make a good case for promoting sustainable building practices to such facilities.
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In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has estimated that
if 300,000 congregations cut back on their energy use by 25 per cent, invest
in more efficient heating and lighting systems, and adopt other
environment-friendly practices, they would save more than $500 million
annually. The efforts would also prevent more than five million tons of
greenhouse gas emissions from polluting the air, or “the equivalent of
taking one million cars off the road,” estimates the agency.