Rebuild America
U.S. Dept. of Energy
NATIONAL TRUST
>•• HISTORIC PRESERVATION™
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EPA would like to thank Aspen Systems Corporation for its contribution to this publication
This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States
Government Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their
employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility
for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process
disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to
any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or
otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring
by the United States Government or any agency thereof The views and opinions of authors
expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any
agency thereof
This guidebook is intended to present a realistic look at energy-efficiency practices but cautions that
specific references to costs or performance characteristics are "typical." Actual values may vary
depending on location, climate and manufacturer The guidebook documents various energy-
efficiency options for saving energy in congregations, however, the EPA in no way recommends the
use of energy-efficiency products or practices that are contradictory to your personal beliefs
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Welcome
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Welcome
Welcome
Thanks For Your
Commitment To Energy
Stewardship
When your congregation pays its
utility bills each month, you
probably don't care too much
about kilowatt-hours or therms.
You want heat, air conditioning, light-
ing, and other services at the lowest
possible cost. Putting Energy Into Ste-
wardship can help you get the most
from your equipment and facility and
decrease your operating costs. We call
this energy optimization; you'll just call
it smart stewardship of money and na-
tural resources.
Most religious traditions teach steward-
ship 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.
With so many pressing and legitimate
demands on your congregation's finan-
cial resources, does it make sense to
pay more for energy? Of course not—
and it also doesn't make sense envi-
ronmentally to use more energy than
necessary. Ineffective energy use
wastes the Earth's precious natural
resources and causes pollution. Many
congregations, just like yours, are be-
coming better resource stewards.
Energy efficiency recovers the money
you would otherwise spend each
month on wasted energy. These dollars
saved can support your congregation's
mission and charity while you simulta-
neously help prevent pollution.
Every time a light, a computer, or an air
conditioner is turned on, a power plant
consumes some type of fuel to generate
electricity. Most of the time, a fossil fuel
is burned to generate power, and the
process releases emissions and pollu-
tion into the atmosphere and elsewhere
in the environment. These pollutants
cause acid rain and smog, and most
scientists agree these emissions are
changing our global climate. Human
health—as well as nature's complex
ecosystem—also is affected directly.
Since the 1970s, tremendous techno-
logical advances have been made in
building systems and controls. As a
result, you can often get off-the-shelf
building technologies that provide
more comfort for significantly less
money than you are currently spending.
Let's Look At Some
Examples
Say you have several incandescent
floodlights mounted outside your
building for security. Replacing them
with high-intensity discharge (HID)
fixtures could save 80 percent of the
electricity while increasing the light
level (see page 44). That can save you
big money and improve building
security. Installing photocell controls
will ensure that the lights always will
be on at night to deter vandals or
burglars who may be tempted to take
advantage of the shadows.
Have you ever experienced eye fatigue
or headaches from working under
the glare of older fluorescent lights? Do
12 Simple, Sure
Energy Savers
/. Turn off lights and equip-
ment when not in use.
2. Buy ENERGY STAR® labeled
equipment
3. Install occupant sensors
on lighting.
4. Use free da/fighting.
5. Tune up HVAC with annual
maintenance contract
6. Regulany change/clean
HVAC /liters.
7. Install programmable
thermostat on HVAC.
8. Replace incandescent
lamps with CFLs.
9. Install LED exit signs.
10. Control direct sunlight
through windows.
//.Use fans.
12. Plug leaks with caulking
and weatherstripping.
(see page 82 for more details).
Putting Energy Into Stewardship iii
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We/come
Kenneth Gain facilities manager for the SligoAdventist School, invested $44,728 (and
received $27,527 in utility incentives) to perform upgrades on the school building.With a
1.5-year overall payback on the energy investments, he saved enough money to build the
kids a new playground and return $ 11,136 a year to the school. See page 47 for details.
you have trouble viewing your com-
puter monitor because the lighting in
the room is too bright? Upgrading your
existing lighting with newer technolo-
gies can increase visual comfort for
congregation members, enhance interior
appearances, and allow your congrega-
tion to experience a more enjoyable
service. Costs may be 20 to 50 percent
less than with old equipment.
Let us publicize your
success! To educate other
congregations, submit
your success story.
ENERGY STAR* for congregations will help
you apply solutions such as these to
your facilities so you can save money,
optimize energy use, and help protect
the environment. As an ENERGY STAR
partner, you will have access to unbi-
ased information on building tech-
nologies and the upgrade process.
For more information, call us toll-free
at 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937) or
visit our Web sites at www.epa.gov/
congregations and www.energystar.gov.
Where To Find What You
Need In This Guide
We realize your time is very valuable,
so we've designed this guide to get
you the information you need quickly.
This section is your key.
Section 1, "Getting The Job Done,"
gives you practical advice on how to
overcome the technical, financial, and
managerial hurdles that you may en-
counter on the path to reducing your
utility costs through energy optimization.
In this section, we give you proven
strategies to identify the best energy
upgrades for your congregational facili-
ties. We also discuss how you can fi-
nance these upgrades, and we give you
time-tested guidelines for selecting
contractors to help you get the job done.
You can use the tables provided to
compare your energy use and costs
with those of similar congregations in
your region.
Section 2, "Technical Support," de-
scribes the many technologies that can
improve your energy efficiency. You
probably expect that only lighting,
heating, cooling, and water heating are
covered in-depth; however, you may be
a little surprised to find out how much
money selecting the right office equip-
ment can save. And we include a discus-
sion of techniques to optimize your
paper use that will save you money
while preserving our nation's forests.
Throughout Section 2 we identify
simple measures that you can do
yourself in just a few minutes. And for
more involved upgrades, we explain
the solutions and the terms so that you
can be a smarter shopper when inter-
acting with contractors and suppliers.
Section 3, "Supporting Material,"
contains a glossary that will help you
understand unfamiliar terms and new
technologies. This section also has
a checklist of ways to improve your
facility's energy efficiency and a shop-
ping list of things to look for when
buying or leasing a building.
Your facility could be featured in an
ENI-RGY STAR Success Story, and your
congregation can be publicly recog-
nized for exemplary environmental
stewardship.
iv Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Welcome
Additional ENERGY STAR
Services
Every ENERGY STAR congregational
partner has access to a full range
of technical materials and services.
These include seminars, workshops,
and written materials on energy-
efficiency upgrades, as well as bro-
chures and promotional information
that you can use to highlight your
participation to your congregation
members.
Feel free to call the toll-free hotline
(1-888-STAR-YES) at any time to find
out about additional materials and
publications. After reviewing the
relevant publications, you may dis-
cover that you can do certain projects
in-house using the professional skills
of congregation members; if you find
your congregation lacks members with
the necessary professional abilities,
you may decide to enlist the help of
outside professionals.
Either way, we will help you become a
smarter buyer and ask the right ques-
tions. If you have access to the World
Wide Web, we invite you to visit the
ENERGY STAR for congregations Web site
at www.epa.gov/congregations. From
there you can explore the materials
and services available, access new
information not in this guide, and link
to energy-efficiency sites throughout
the Internet.
Selected Reading
I have no time.
Read "Finding The Time" and "Learning About Energy
Efficiency" in Section 1. A consultant or an ENERGY
STAR product and service provider will be able to
identify upgrade options for you with only a limited
investment of your time. (ENERGY STAR product and
service providers are firms that sell products and/or
services for energy-efficiency upgrades. These compa-
nies may be found at www epa gov/congregations or
by caUing 1-888-STAR-YES.)
I have access to in-house technical help.
Read Section 1 and then pass this guide to your staff
One week later, schedule a meeting to review the tech-
nologies and upgrades that might be appropriate for your
congregation and to estabbsh a preliminary timeline
I don't have access to technical skills and
would likely contract out all work.
Read or scan this entire guide so you can determine
which equipment to focus on and whom to call for
help. You can always call ENERGY STAR toll free at
1-888-STAR-YES
Putting Energy Into Stewardship v
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Contents
Putting Eiierg)! Into Stewardship: EKERGY STAR*' Guide For Congregations
SECTION hGettingTheJobDone I
Finding The Time 3
Getting The Money 5
Learning About Energy Efficient 7
Making A Good Building Even Better 11
Selecting A Contractor 15
Benefiting From Energy Savings As A Tenant 19
Verifying Savings 21
ENERGY STAR Support For Congregations 23
SECTION 2:Technical Support 25
Financial Analysis 27
Prioritizing Your Projects 31
Lighting Part I: Concepts 33
Lighting Part II: Upgrades 39
Building Tune-Up 49
Office Equipment 51
Paper 55
Water Heaters And Water Use 57
Refrigeration 63
Building Construction 65
Heating And Cooling 71
Other Ideas for Energy Stewardship 77
SECTION 3: Supporting Material 85
Glossary 87
Energy-Efficiency Quicklist 95
ENERGY STAR Shopping List For Congregations 97
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Getting The
Job Done
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Getting The job Done
Finding The Time
We understand how important
your time is. We're also con-
vinced that energy-efficiency
upgrades are well worth your
consideration because of the savings
and improved comfort they bring.
Getting Started With
Few Hassles
Here are strategies to jumpstart your
energy savings with a limited invest-
ment of your time.
• Ask your utility if it offers free or
inexpensive energy surveys.
• Ask your congregation if members
are professionally skilled in the
areas where energy can be saved.
• Invite lighting contractors and heat-
ing, ventilating, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) contractors to your facility
to suggest upgrades.
• Leverage your time by drawing
on the expertise of ENERGY STAR
product and service providers.
Call 1-888-STAR-YES for your near-
est provider, or see the Energy
Services and Products Directory on
the ENERGY STAR Web sites (www.
epa gov/congregations and www.
energystar.gov) for a directory of
contractors.
• Discuss the project with a congrega-
tion member who might coordinate
and manage your project, or con-
sider contracting with an energy
professional.
• Select turnkey services from an
Energy Services Company (ESCO);
see page 8
• Delegate responsibilities to your
coordinator if you discover a par-
ticular project is taking more of
your time than you can afford.
The Cost Of Delay
While we often think of upgrade
projects in terms of how quickly the
investment is paid off through the
savings, we usually don't recognize
the other side of this equation. For
each month or year that you delay
your upgrade projects, you lose poten-
tial savings.
Many consulting engineers,
utilities, and ENERGY STAR®
product and service provid-
ers offer their services to
review proposals, oversee
contractors, and attend
project meetings.
Consider a congregation with an
annual energy expense of $25,000.
If a comprehensive upgrade program
could reduce energy use
by 30 percent, this
congregation could
save $7,500 per
year. Assume that
the cost of imple-
menting these
measures results in a
3-year simple payback,
which is typical.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 3
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Getting The Job Done
Getting The Money
The key issue is, how do you pay
for the upgrades? Not a prob-
lem, in most cases. Energy-
efficiency upgrades make such
good financial sense that many tradi-
tional and nontraditional resources
can provide you and your congrega-
tion with a positive cash flow.
For inexpensive projects, you'll want
to fund your upgrades with internal
funds. The overhead costs of financing
are too high for small projects. This is
the best way to keep payback time
low and return on investment high.
For larger jobs, some congregations
may not have the convenient cash
reserves or revolving credit that large
businesses do. Cash flow limitations
can make capital funding from re-
serves simply impossible. In such
situations, financing is the only way
the project can be implemented. For-
tunately, a wide variety of sources
and mechanisms has evolved over the
past few years to help smaller facili-
ties maintain a positive cash flow
while implementing energy-efficiency
projects.
ENERGY STAR For
Congregations
Finance Directory
Resources are available through ENERGY
STAR for congregations to help you
find financing EPA does not endorse
individual lenders or lessors, but we
do provide an ever-growing list. If
you have Internet access, our Web
site at www.epa.gov/smallbiz features
a finance directory (click on "finance
directory") that provides direct access
to lenders that offer such loans and
leases. It also contains some Web links,
and you can download the text of the
finance directory from the Web site. The
printed version of the finance direc-
tory also may be requested by calling
ENERGY STAR for congregations at the
toll-free ENERGY STAR hotline (1-888-
STAR-YES). Ask for congregations help.
The ENERGY STAR finance directory
offers a variety of financing options
including:
• Your religious organization.
Many denominations have estab-
lished funds for facility improve-
ment or construction. Ask your
congregational leadership to check.
• Supplier loans. Many suppliers
offer financing in combination with
installation of their equipment. Make
sure the interest rate is comparable
to what you can get elsewhere.
• Utility loans. Your utility may have
a low-interest loan program or other
financing to underwrite energy-
efficiency projects.
• State loans. Your state energy
office may be aware of alternative
sources of loans—and possibly
grant monies—for congregations
like yours
Performance Contracting
Financing your project yourself
through a cash purchase or a loan
requires you to shoulder all the re-
sponsibility for the project's success.
Performance contracting, available
primarily through ESCOs (see page
8), is an alternative way to finance
energy-efficiency projects. You re-
ceive a lower level of cost savings at
first, but have insurance that your
The ENERGY STAR® finance
directory makes it easy
to find conventional and
innovative tenders for
energy upgrade projects
(www.epa.gOv/sma//bfz).
Putting Energy /nto Stewardship 5
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Getting The Job Done
actual savings will meet your expecta-
tions Performance contracts typically
are negotiated with no upfront cost to
the building owner; money realized
from energy savings goes to pay pro-
ject expenses. A detailed explanation
of performance contracts is found in
Financing Your Energy-Efficiency
Upgrade, EPA 430-B-97-003. Call the
ENERGY STAR hotline at 1-888-STAR-YES
for this or other publications.
Reinvestment Of Savings
ENERGY STAR for congregations empha-
sizes a staged approach to energy in-
vestment projects (see page 31). You
can use the cost savings from your first
project to fund your second project,
and so on.
Tax Implications
While your congregation is tax exempt,
your members also may want to up-
grade the efficiency of their businesses.
Legislation in summer 1996 extended
the ability of businesses to deduct
equipment upgrades as an expense.
This can save them money by taking
capital costs that normally would be
amortized and deducted from declared
profit over several years and advancing
the costs into a current year tax deduc-
tion. We suggest that they contact their
accountants for more information on
how upgrade projects can reduce their
taxes and improve their cash flow.
Success Story
The 35,000-square-foot Bethesda Lutheran Church in Ames, IA,
has made a commitment to stewardship of congregational funds
as well as of the environment. Efficiency improvements are saving
about $5,000 annually The 71,428 kWh saved will prevent about
100,286 pounds of CO2 emissions annually. Bethesda Lutheran
recently replaced incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent
lamps and installed computer controls to schedule rooms for
heating and cooling when occupied. They also purchased new
energy-efficient freezers for the food pantry and kitchen and
installed new storm windows over the stained glass windows.
Lloyd Lockhart, Bethesda Lutheran's business administrator, says,
"The rooms are more comfortable, lighting in the halls is better,
and our gas and electric bills are lower"
6 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Getting The job Done
Learning About Energy
Efficiency
You may not know a lot about the
intricacies of motors, lighting,
or air conditioning. You may be
reluctant to take on the chal-
lenges of building upgrade projects,
especially when your existing equip-
ment works just fine. We will help you
successfully implement upgrades by
relying heavily on energy professionals
and ENERGY STAR resources. We will help
you through the process, and we can
answer your most difficult questions.
Energy-Efficiency Basics
Building technologies have advanced at
a striking pace during the past decade. If
your building's lighting and heating/
cooling systems are more than 10 years
old, you could potentially see big sav-
ings—up to 50 ipercent—by upgrading.
Key opportunities are described below.
Lighting. Even though the old-fashioned
light bulb is still the symbol of innova-
tion, those incandescent bulbs con-
sume 75 percent more electricity than
compact fluorescent bulbs. The higher
cost of compact fluorescent bulbs is
quickly recovered through energy sa-
vings and lamp longevity. New tech-
nologies are employed to reduce the
energy use of fluorescent fixtures. And
occupancy sensors, which turn lights
off in unoccupied areas, have become
surprisingly inexpensive (see page 46).
Look around your building. If you use
fixtures that are more than 10 years
old, your building is a good candidate
for a lighting upgrade.
Building Tune-Up. Get your building
back to its original performance. See
page 49 for more information.
Office Equipment And Paper Use.
Selecting ENERGY STAR labeled equipment
when you purchase new computers or
office equipment and encouraging a
few simple practices among your volun-
teers or employees will yield energy
savings with absolutely no investment
cost. See pages 51 and 55 for more
information.
Consider Some Of The Traditional
Myths About Equipment And Energy Use1
Myth: Leaving computers on helps them last longer.
Reality: Today's computers do not suffer from being turned on and off
thousands of times. In fact, turning computers off when they're not
being used lowers the amount of dust buildup inside, which helps them
last longer while saving you money.
Myth: Energy costs are an insignificant part of total expenses.
Reality: Energy savings can always be used to fund materials, supplies,
and publications. In addition to your reduced utility bills, improved
congregant comfort is common after building upgrades.
Myth: Fluorescent lights last longer if not turned on and off.
Reality: Switching fluorescent lights on and off does slightly shorten
their life. However, any time lights are not needed for more than about
10 minutes, you save more money by turning them off than by leaving
them on.
Myth: / should replace old equipment with more efficient versions only as
the old equipment breaks.
Reality: With some new technologies, such asT-8 fluorescent lights
(20 to 60 percent savings) or light emitting diode (LED) exit signs
(up to 90 percent savings), there's just no reason to wait You can start
saving money on energy and maintenance costs right away.
1 ASHRAEJournal, January 1997.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 7
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Getting The Job Done
Unique opportunities
for energy savings are
available for each
congregation.
Water Heating And Water Conserva-
tion. You may be paying more than you
need to for water use or water heating.
Learn more starting on page 57.
Refrigeration. Check your seals regu-
larly and specify high-efficiency evapo-
rator fans when you buy new systems.
These and other operations and mainte-
nance guidelines will keep your refrig-
eration equipment working at peak
efficiency. See page 63 for additional
ideas.
Building Construction. A review of
the steps to upgrade your building's
walls, roof, and windows to get the
most comfort from your heating and
cooling units starts on page 65.
Installation Support
Leon on outside contractors for expertise and Installation.
Available resources Include ESCOs and conventional contractors:
• Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) offer turnkey services that are
excellent alternatives for larger projects.The company will perform a
survey (usually free) to identify savings opportunities and will arrange
financing, coordinate contractors, and perform all project management.
Often, these projects are financed as performance contracts, where the
ESCO receives a portion of the savings generated by the project The
National Association of Energy Services Companies (NAESCO) can refer
you to the ESCOs in your area; call (202) 822-0950 or visit the Web site at
www.naesco.org.
• Lighting contractors will be familiar with all aspects of lighting design
and can conduct lighting surveys, recommend replacements, and calculate
energy and cost savings. Lighting contractors are the best choice when the
project is high profile or requires significant lighting redesign.
• Electrical contractors have skills installing motors, modifying equipment,
and performing straightforward lighting upgrades.
• Mechanical contractors specialize in the heating, cooling, and ventilating
systems at a facility.They can coordinate the work of subcontractors and ,
interface with installers of Energy Management Systems (EMSs) if required.
• Controls contractors specialize in the automatic controls for heating,
cooling, ventilating, lighting, and emergency systems. Installation of a central
computerized control system with advanced energy savings functions (also
known as EMS) is cost effective for many facilities.
• Operations and maintenance contractors will perform routine
preventive maintenance that can extend equipment life and reduce
energy use.
Heating And Cooling. Inexpensive
modifications such as installing pro-
grammable thermostats and cleaning
your Filters often can significantly
reduce your heating or cooling costs.
Thinking of replacing your old system?
See page 71 to explore the options
before you buy, because it may be
worth the extra cost. If your existing
system is old enough, it may be cost-
effective to replace it with a new one
immediately.
Other Opportunities. Each congrega-
tion has unique opportunities for energy
savings based on the particular equip-
ment it uses. Many of these measures
are discussed starting on page 77; you
can also call the ENERGY STAR hotline
at 1-888-STAR-YES for information on
measures not covered in this guide.
Lean On Experts For
Advice
The type of help you will need to start
your upgrade projects depends on the
amount and skill level of in-house
support, the type of project, and the
size of the project.
To begin, you may need the help of a
consultant or an energy surveyor to
identify upgrade opportunities. If your
in-house support is extremely limited,
you may need some level of manage-
ment or oversight by a consultant other
than the contractor performing the
work. Typically this is money well
spent because, just like hiring a profes-
sional accountant to prepare your tax
returns, professional consultants or
surveyors often save you more money
and provide fast and efficient results
that allow you to make knowledgeable
choices concerning energy-efficiency
upgrades.
Start with a free energy survey where
available. Call your electnc or gas utility.
Nearly half of the country's biggest
utility companies offer free or subsi-
8 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Getting The Job Done
dized energy surveys for commercial
customers to identify energy-efficiency
opportunities. These surveys may not
identify fuel-switching opportunities that
convert you from the sponsoring
utility's product, but otherwise they are
an excellent and objective way to get
started. Some utilities give free compact
fluorescent lamps to their customers.
If you don't have any luck there, call
some electrical or heating, ventilating,
and air-conditioning (HVAC) contrac-
tors for free walk-through surveys. Just
be aware that the contractor's agenda
for such a survey will include a sales
pitch; if you don't have a long-term
relationship with your contractor, you
will want to consider capital-intensive
recommendations carefully.
If you don't have a contractor, call
1-888-STAR-YES and ask for the nearest
ENERGY STAR product and service provid-
ers. These companies have received
training in strategies to upgrade building
systems to optimize performance.
For large projects outside your realm of
expertise, consider hiring consultants to
prepare bid documents or to verify the
work of contractors. As a rule of thumb,
it is worthwhile to have a management
investment of 3 to 10 percent of the
project cost so an independent expert
can oversee major projects. This pre-
mium doesn't detract much from your
payback and acts as a good insurance
policy. Look in the Yellow Pages of
your phone book under Engineering
Consultants or similar headings, or
call 1-888-STAR-YES for the name
of your nearest ENERGY STAR product
and service provider. For information
about financial or technical assistance
that is available for energy-efficiency
upgrades, call your local energy utility
or your state energy office.
ENERGY STAR Labeled
Products
ENERGY STAR labeled products use less
energy than other products, save you
money on utility bills, and help protect
the environment. Look for the ENERGY
STAR label on:
• Household appliances
• Compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Exit signs
• Home electronics
• Office equipment
• Heating and cooling products
• Homes
• Windows
• Residential lighting fixtures
• Transformers
• Roof products
• Insulation
'•>.
• Products in
development
This Web site
(www.energystar.gov/) provides lists
of ENERGY STAR qualified products and a
store locator to help you find qualified
products at a retailer near you. ENERGY
STAR labeled products are made by all
major manufacturers and are available
at stores everywhere.
The Second Price Tag:
Energy Efficient Appliances
Cost Less To Own
Although energy-efficient models
sometimes cost more to purchase, any
extra upfront cost often can be made
up with savings on your utility bill.
One helpful way to figure out if buy-
ing an ENERGY STAR labeled product
makes sense for you is to think of
two price tags.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 9
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Getting The Job Done
The first price tag is the purchase price
that you pay at the store when you
buy the product
The second price tag is the cost to
operate the product over its lifetime
You pay to operate the product every
month for as long as you own the
appliance You might be surprised
to see how much it can cost to own a
product that seems like a good deal
upfront Also, check with your local
utility—many offer rebates on the pur-
chase of ENLRGY STAR labeled products
Where Can I Learn More?
For more information on energy technologies contact.
• Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA> (703) 575-4477; www acca org
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) (202) 347-7474; www.acec org
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc (ASHRAE)
1-800-527-4723 or (404) 636-8400, www.ashrae org
• Amencan Society of Mechanical Engineers International (ASME). 1-800-THE-ASME; www.asme org
• American Solar Energy Society (ASES) (303) 443-3130, www.ases org
• Association of Energy Engineers (AEE): (770) 447-5083, www aeecenter.org
• Association of Energy Service Professionals International (AESP): (561) 432-8000, www aesp org
• Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology (CREST)' (202) 293-2898,
www crest.org
• Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life. (212) 684-6950, www.coejl org
• Electnc Power Research Institute (EPRI): 1-800-313-3774, www epn com
• Energy-Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC). 1-800-DOE-EREC;
www.eren.doe gov and www eren.doe.gov/EE/buildings html
• Energy User News: (248) 362-3700, www energyusernews com
• Episcopal Power and Light: www theregenerationproject org
• Evangelical Environmental Network- (610) 645-9392; www creationcare.org
• Interfaith Coalition on Energy (ICE)- (215) 635-1122; www.sustainable doe gov/success/interfaith_coaliuon shtml
• International Dark Sky Association' www.darksky.org
• Islam and Ecology www.crosscurrents.org/islamecology htm
• Lighting Research Center: (518) 687-7100; www Ire rpi.edu
• National Association of Energy Services Companies (NAESCO). (202) 822-0950; www naesco org
• National Council of Churches (212) 870-2227, www ncccusa org/
• National Religious Partnership for the Environment: (212) 316-7441; www nrpe org/
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) (703) 684-2800, www.nspe org
• Religions of the World and Ecology. Discovering the Common Ground: www crle org/commonground html
• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops- (202) 541-3000, www nccbuscc.org
10 Putting Energy (nto Stewardship
-------
Getting The Job Done
Making A Good Building
Even Better
E
STAR partners have reduced
their buildings' energy costs by an
average of about 30 percent, and
upgrades at these sites continue.
Even if your building is already rela-
tively energy efficient, nearly every
building can reduce its energy costs
by at least 10 percent with measures
that pay for themselves in less than
3 years. Energy cost reduction of 50
percent or more will be economically
achievable at some sites.
The best way to measure your energy
use is by calculating it per square foot
and comparing it with other buildings
that have the same type of use (office,
education, health care, lodging, etc.)
that you do. Look at the worksheet
and charts on pages 12 and 13. The
charts show the national average of
typical annual energy use by building
type and by climate zone.
Keep in mind that the values on pages
12 and 13 are averages. An "average"
congregational building typically will
have opportunities to lower its bills by
30 percent. A facility using more than
the average amount of electricity and
fuel may have even better opportunities.
Even a facility significantly below the
average usually can find potential sav-
ings through measures that emphasize
the newest technologies (such as ENERGY
STAR labeled office equipment). To find
the best upgrades for your building and
equipment, identify the area of your
highest energy use. The best place to
start is to review your electric, natural
gas, fuel oil, and other energy bills for
the past year. Select your highest bill. Is
it highest in summer? This could indicate
high air-conditioning costs. Is it highest
in winter? If you currently have electric
resistance heat, you may save money by
converting to natural gas or fuel oil. Are
your electric bills higher in spring and
fall than in summer and winter? Simple
modifications to your heating and cool-
ing systems may provide excellent sav-
ings. You may discover that your peak
electricity use occurs during a time of
year when rates are higher.
In addition, your electric bills may
have a demand charge component,
which is a charge based on your peak
rate of electricity use. These factors
make it especially important to select
energy-efficiency upgrades that will
lower your energy use when the
utility's rates are higher or when your
facility's demand is at its peak.
Electric
Demand
(kW)
Peak Demand —
Electric Use (kWh)
Midnight Noon Midnight
If you are charged a "demand charge" on your electric bill, you pay a fee based on your
peak rate of electricity consumption. Lowering your peak rate of usage can save big.
Using Utility Bills
To Forecast
Upgrade Costs
y ou can use your current
utility bills to estimate the
total cost of upgrades that
may be cost effective. EPA's
experience with energy*
efficiency upgrades has
shown upgrade savings
to be between 10 and 50
percent of existing utility
bills. Because the typical
upgrade costs three times
what it saves in one year,
you can anticipate an
upgrade budget of roughly
100 to 150 percent of your
total annual utility bills.
For example, if yoiir
annual utility bill is,;
$24,000 (for all
fuels), it may be
cost effective to
anticipate
spending $24,000 to
$36,000 on upgrading yolir
equipment. (You can find
information on financing
these upgrades starting on
page 27.) This budget can
be a good reality check
once you start getting
prices from suppliers and
contractors. Of course, you
may encounter savings
higher or lower than this
depending on your facility.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship I I
-------
Getting The job Done
Average Energy Use And Costs Throughout The United States
Calculate Your Total Energy Intensity
(for online version go to www.epa.gov/congregations)
I. Collect one year of bills for each energy type and multiply by these conversion factors:
Annual kWh of electricity x 3.4
Annual therms or ccf of natural gas x 100
Annual gallons of #2 fuel oil (diesel fuel) x 140
Annual gallons of #6 fuel oil x I SO
Annual Mlb. of purchased steam x 1,040
Annual gallons of propane x 91 or
Annual pounds of propane x 22
Total (A)
2. Write down the size of your facility, in square feet (B)
3. Calculate your total energy intensity by dividing (A) by (B), and write this number on line (C). (C) _
kBtu/year
square feet
kBtu/sq.ft/year
4. Find the climate map with your location shaded.Then find the average energy use and costs for similar buildings on the adjacent table
and compare them with your energy use from line (C). How do you rate?
U.S. Climate Zone 1
Building Type
Education
Food service
Health care (inpatient)
Health care (outpatient)
Lodging
Office
Public assembly
Religious worship
Restaurant
Retail
Warehouse (non-refrig.)
Warehouse (refrigerated)
Annual
Energy Use
(kBtu/sq.ft.)
77
155
270
118
133
93
66
53
250
77
59
65
Annual
Energy Cost
($/sq.ft.)
$0.93
$2.32
$2.65
$1.33
$1.42
$1.46
$0.95
$0.48
$3.99
$0.99
$1.09
$1.45
U.S. Climate Zone 2
Building Type
Education
Food service
Health care (inpatient)
Health care (outpatient)
Lodging
Office
Public assembly
Religious worship
Restaurant
Retail
Warehouse (non-refrig.)
Warehouse (refrigerated)
Annual
Energy Use
(kBtu/sq.ft.)
88
169
269
84
92
95
77
61
250
87
64
65
Annual
Energy Cost
($/sq.ft)
$1.08
$2.19
$2.63
$1.25
$1.54
$1.49
$1.26
$0.68
$3.99
$1.21
$0.80
$1.45
12 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
-------
Getting The job Done
U.S. Climate Zone 3
BuildingType
Education
Food service
Health care (inpatient)
Health care (outpatient)
Lodging
Office
Public assembly
Religious worship
Restaurant
Retail
Warehouse (non-refrig.)
Warehouse (refrigerated)
Annual
Energy Use
(kBtu/sq.ft.)
69
213
204
80
96
80
66
35
226
64
51
65
Annual
Energy Cost
($/sq.ft.)
$0.99
$2.73
$2.35
$1.30
$1.86
$1.59
$1.19
$0.45
$4.16
$1.25
$0.93
$1.47
U.S. Climate Zone 4
BuildingType
Education
Food service
Health care (inpatient)
Health care (outpatient)
Lodging
Office
Public assembly
Religious worship
Restaurant
Retail
Warehouse (non-refrig.)
Warehouse (refrigerated)
Annual
Energy Use
(kBtu/sq.ft)
66
232
227
74
115
72
72
38
134
68
36
96
Annual
Energy Cost
(Vsq.ft.)
$1.17
$2.49
$2.89
$1.36
$1.65
$1.54
$1.32
$0.59
$3.03
$1.36
$0.83
$2.02
U.S. Climate Zone 5
BuildingType
Education
Food service
Health care (inpatient)
Health care (outpatient)
Lodging
Office
Public assembly
Religious worship
Restaurant
Retail
Warehouse (non-refrig.)
Warehouse (refrigerated)
Annual
Energy Use
(kBtu/sq.ft)
56
195
202
100
102
68
54
34
161
56
33
55
Annual
Energy Cost
($/sq.ft)
$1.11
$2.89
$2.76
$1.67
$1.62
$1.55
$1.17
$0.59
$3.20
$1.26
$0.77
$1.17
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 13
-------
Getting The Job Done
Success Story
A Congregation That Cares
Congregation Beth El-Keser Israel (BEKI)—
a traditional egalitarian participatory Conser-
vative synagogue community in New Haven,
CT—honors energy and environmental
conservation as part of its faith BEK1 has
just begun to scratch the surface of its
energy-efficiency potential and is focused
on conserving, preserving, and saving for
many years to come. The temple's active
participation m conservation issues makes
the future a little brighter not only for its
several hundred members, but for people
of all faiths everywhere.
A Guiding Light
BEKl has Rabbi Jon-Jay Tilsen to thank for its
energy-efficiency rebirth Tilsen currently is
overseeing BEKTs energy-efficiency projects
as well as planning for the temple's future.
BEKI already has begun with upgrades to its
exterior and interior lighting, windows, and air
conditioning. Replacing old incandescent lights
with new, high-output metal hahdes in out-
door applications and efficient T-8 fluorescent
lights with electronic ballasts in interior offices
and hallways was a priority. BEKI replaced a
large number of broken and cracked windows
to eliminate drafts and upgraded the inefficient
20-year-old air-conditioning units with new
energy-efficient models These efforts already
have resulted in $600 in annual savings and
the prevention of 11,000 pounds of CO2 from
entering the air each year—a promising start
with more to come
Blending Religious Convictions
With Technology
Religious beliefs do not permit many Jewish
individuals to adjust mechanical or electrical
devices (such as lighting and heating) on the
Sabbath (sunset Friday through sunset Satur-
day) and during religious festivals (13 days
each year) Therefore, the use of photocells
and timers that can be set before the begin-
ning of Sabbath or festivals helps BEKI mem-
bers make sure thai lights and systems are on
only when needed, while strictly observing
their faith. Otherwise, the temple would have
to let all building systems run continuously
during the Sabbath and festivals, which would
be an unintentional waste of resources What
a great example of using technology effi-
ciently to maintain an age-old tradition!
Continued Commitment To Ensure
A Bright Future
By selecting an architect to design a master
plan for energy-efficient building improve-
ments, BEKI is well on its way to a bright
and efficient future Recently, BEKI replaced
an archaic 40-year-old central cooling sys-
tem, which was financed through the ven-
dor. It is estimated that the new unit will
save BEKI more than $6,000 per year and
their annual payment will be less than their
repair bills for the old unit. The 35,714 kWh
saved will prevent about 61,642 pounds of
CO2 emissions annually
A Modest Proposal
Energy consumption may be costing your
congregation and our environment more than
it should
As Congregation BEKI has demonstrated, your
congregation can choose from many energy-
efficient options available. The savings
generated by energy efficiency is mea-
sured not only in financial gain, but in
something even more important than
money: the protection of the Earth, on
which we all live and breathe.
14 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
-------
Getting The/ob Done
Selecting A Contractor
Resources Through ENERGY
STAR For Congregations
Selecting contractors and other
professionals who are ENERGY
STAR product and service providers
will help ensure that your job will
be performed in accordance with the
latest energy-efficiency technologies
A list of participants can be obtained
by calling the EPA ENERGY STAR hotline
at 1-888-STAR-YES, or see the Energy
Services and Products Directory (www.
epa.gov/smallbiz) and find ENERGY STAR
labeled products and retailers online
through the ENERGY STAR Web site (www.
energystar.gov). At these Web sites you
can search for ENERGY STAR product and
service providers by type of service,
specific product, or location. The direc-
tory even contains direct links to many
product and service providers' Web sites.
EPA sponsors a national toll-free hotline
for ENERGY STAR for Congregations Part-
ners to learn how to get upgrades done
or to network and exchange information
on what works. Just call 1-888-STAR-YES
and ask for technical support.
Using Utility Bills To
Forecast Upgrade Costs
You can use your current bills to esti-
mate the return on investment of cost-
effective upgrades. EPA's experience
with energy-efficiency upgrades has
shown savings to be between 10 and 50
percent of existing utility bills. Because
the typical upgrade costs three times
what it saves in one year, you can
anticipate an upgrade budget of roughly
100 to 150 percent of your total annual
utility bills.
For example, if your annual utility bill
is $24,000 (for all fuels), it may be
cost-effective to anticipate spending
$24,000 to $36,000 on upgrading your
equipment. (You can find information
on financing these upgrades starting
on page 27.) This budget can be a
good reality check once you start
getting prices from suppliers and
contractors. Of course, you may en-
counter savings higher or lower than
this depending on your facility.
Look in the Yellow Pages of your
phone book under Engineering Con-
sultants (or similar titles) or call 1-888-
STAR-YES for the name of your nearest
ENERGY STAR product and service pro-
vider. EPA sponsors national work-
shops for ENERGY STAR for congregation
partners to learn how to get upgrades
done or to network and exchange
information on what works.
A critical step in the success of a
building upgrade project is the evalua-
tion of proposals. Detailed coordina-
tion during the project minimizes the
inconvenience to your congregation
and allows the contractor to perform a
profitable, high-quality installation.
Solicit Competitive Bids
For larger projects, an ENERGY STAR
partner should issue a request for
proposals (RFP) to get competitive bids
based on the same scope of work.
Although this may seem like a lengthy
process, it could save you a lot of
money on design and construction
costs in the long run. For smaller
projects, it may not be cost-effective to
go through the RFP procedure. The
break-even point for issuing an RFP
ENERGY STAR sponsors
a national toll-free
hotline for congregation
partners to learn how
to get upgrades done
or to network and ex-
change information on
what works. Just call
1-888-STAR-YES and
ask for technical support
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 15
-------
Getting The Job Done,
A critical step in the
success of a building
upgrade project is the
evaluation of proposals.
depends on project size and complexity
and whether in-house personnel are
sufficiently skilled to prepare the RFP
document. At the very least, you should
get multiple bids on any large job.
The RFP structure depends on how
much background work already has
been completed on the project. If
no preliminary work has been done
on project development or design, a
congregation will need a more com-
plete menu of services than might
otherwise be the case. This RFP would
invite interested parties to visit the site
and conduct initial surveys of the
facilities to identify potential projects.
Based on these initial surveys, contrac-
tors may submit details of projects they
have identified, including estimates of
energy savings and cost savings and a
description of other benefits.
If a survey identifies energy savings
opportunities, all potential bidders can
be provided with a copy. Contractors
can then base their proposals on the
information provided or propose
modified or alternative solutions that
are more cost-effective.
If a design has been completed on a
specific energy measure, a congrega-
tion can provide potential bidders with
a set of design drawings from which
they can develop their installation cost
proposal.
Evaluation of proposals is a critical
step in the success of a building up-
grade project. Comparing proposals—
especially those that contain different
energy-saving strategies or specified
equipment—requires a basic knowl-
edge of the technologies involved. If
this expertise is not available within a
congregation, an outside source such
as an ENERGY STAR product and service
provider or an engineering consultant
should be part of the selection process.
The following guidelines will assist you
in selecting the best contractors for
your job regardless of whether you
issue an RFP.
Interview Prospective
Contractors
Contractors will be eager to discuss
their capabilities and experience with
you. Ask if they have worked on similar
projects. Discuss the type of working
relationship they like to establish. Get
information on the complete scope of
services available, including project
management, consulting, verifying
others' work, operations and mainte-
nance, arranging for financing, filing
utility rebate documentation, and so
on. Request information on the num-
ber and the experience of engineers
who will be assigned to your project
and check to see if they are affiliated
with the relevant professional societies.
Ask contractors if they have received
any awards or had their work featured
in magazines or journals.
Check References
Obtain the phone numbers of three
congregations or businesses where the
contractors have performed similar
work. Call them and ask if they are
pleased with the contractors' work and
how the contractors responded to any
problems that occurred over the course
of the project. Local contractors that
have been in business in your commu-
nity for a long time have a stake in
their good reputation.
Manage Contractors
Detailed coordination while the project
is underway will minimize the incon-
venience to your staff while allowing
the contractor to perform a profitable,
high-quality installation. Regular meet-
ings with your contractor and other
relevant personnel are essential. Well-
defined project stages combined with
interim payments will serve as a
16 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
-------
Getting The Job Done
mechanism of dialogue during the
project. For example, 10 percent of the
project cost can be due at presentation
and acceptance of design drawings,
70 percent can be due in stages as the
work progresses, and the final 20 per-
cent can be due after performance
verification and staff training.
Settle Difficulties
Don't pay your final bill until you're
satisfied with the work, and remember
that as a consumer, you have every
right to satisfactory service. For big air-
conditioning jobs, a revisit to tune up
the system is not unusual. Reputable
contractors often will make the extra
effort to ensure that you're a satisfied
customer.
In the unlikely event that serious
problems do arise, consider binding
arbitration. Binding arbitration has
become common among the building
trades because it offers fast resolution
with little of the expense or unrespon-
siveness of the legal system. We rec-
ommend that you consider specifically
citing the use of binding arbitration in
your contracts.
Detailed coordination
during the project mini-
mizes the inconvenience
to your congregation's staff
and members and allows
the contractor to perform
a profitable, high-quality
installation.
Success Story
The Sikh Religious Temple in Palatine, IL, has completed jts new
energy-efficient addition, with the voluntary assistance of National
Engineering Services, Inc. The temple added water-saving taps,
photocontrol switches, motion sensing control switches, and a
high efficiency HVAC system. The temple made sure that it used
only energy-efficient lighting by installing fluorescent fixtures and
high-intensity metal halide fixtures The temple has calculated that
these savings will come from the installation of water, heating,
lighting, insulation, and energy-efficient motors, and the low air-
infiltration building shell
Sanlokh S Salluja, President of National Engineering Services,
leader of the voluntary work is monitoring for actual savings, but
expects savings "...of about $720 a month, or a 12 percent reduc-
tion," and says, "The accumulation of small savings in systems
design encourages affordable systems for people and an increase
in the quality of life for all"
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 17
-------
-------
i Getting The job Done
Benefiting From Energy
Savings As A Tenant
• •! yhfe most congregations own
^k Vi / the space in which they wor-
^^^V ship, there are those that do
W w not. This section describes
strategies for reducing energy and rent
costs for congregations that are among
those that do not own their own space.
Whether the cost of utilities is billed di-
rectly to you by the utility companies or
is included in the rent, all tenants ulti-
mately pay to keep buildings comfort-
able and well lit.
Tenants are often disinclined to invest
in the building itself, however, because
they don't own the premises.
If You Pay Your Utilities
Directly
If you pay your utility bills directly,
any upgrade will be worthwhile if it
meets your investment criteria and
pays for itself before you expect to
move Because upgrades typically
increase the value of leased space,
you may be able to get your landlord
to subsidize the upgrade cost or
decrease your monthly rent. The latter
possibility makes a good energy-
efficiency investment even better, and
you may end up with a better deal
than if you owned your space.
In some leasing arrangements in
which the tenant pays the utility bills,
the landlord marks up the cost of
utilities with a handling fee of ap-
proximately 10 percent. If so, your
incentive to reduce energy costs is
greater than if you own the building
because you can save even more.
Success Story
Congregation Members May Have A Home Office
A consulting engineer in Bethesda, MD, used a rented house as
her office When she first moved in, the house was cold and
drafty and had exorbitant utility bills To improve working condi-
tions and save energy, she negotiated an arrangement with her
landlord The consultant and her husband purchased and in-
stalled attic insulation, new double-pane windows, top-quality
indoor shades, new doors, and a programmable thermostat The
landlord reimbursed them for materials and also paid for their
labor at 50 percent of the market rate. The improvements saved
the consultant about $50 per month during the summer and
winter months and greatly increased comfort. Furthermore, the
landlord reduced the consultant's rent by 20 percent, or $200 per
month, for one year after the renovations to compensate her for
her efforts. The landlord benefited as well He had a stable lease,
and once the consultant did move out, he sold the house in only
3 weeks and made a profit of $75,000. An estimated $10,000 of
that profit was due to the recent renovations.
The Tenant
The Landlord
Costs
• Time to install upgrades
• $3,1 15 for materials
• $840 for labor
• $2,400 rent reduction
Benefits
• More comfort
• $400/year decrease in gas
and electric bills
• $2,400/year less in rent
• $3,1 IS in tax deductions
• $840 in free labor
• $10,000 in capital appreciation
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 19
-------
Getting The Job Done
If Utility Costs Are
Included InYour Lease
Your congregation may not own your
building. If you don't pay your own
utility bills, ask your landlord if you
can get a $100 monthly rent reduction
if you install new lights that use $90
less energy per month and increase the
property's market value. Your landlord
just might say yes. Alternatively, your
landlord might pay for the total cost of
upgrade projects if she or he believes
that the upgrades will extend the time
you remain in the space. Remind the
landlord that capital improvements
often are tax deductible.
Focus On No-Cost Or
Low-Cost Opportunities
Even given the rationale above, typi-
cal tenants will not be interested in
investing significantly in new -win-
dows for a building owned by some-
one else (unless the investment is part
of a larger marketing "image make-
over"). Tenants often are best served
No-Cost Options
• Turn up or turn back thermostats during unoccupied times (consider
installing a programmable thermostat; see page 72)
• Turn off lights and office equipment at night and over the weekend
• Take advantage of daylight
• Use e-mail instead of paper memos
• Disconnect unnecessary equipment such as unused freezers, water
heaters, and transformers
Low-Cost Options
• Caulk and weather-strip windows and doors
• Replace light bulbs with more efficient ones
• Install occupancy sensors in areas such as conference rooms and
storage rooms
• Install timers on electric water heaters or other equipment
• Install awnings or shades to keep out the summer sun and lower
air-conditioning costs
• Fix leaking faucets, showerheads, pipes, or toilets
by focusing on measures that require
little capital and will help increase
comfort. These measures can save
tenants a surprising amount of money
and are ideal for congregations that
rent their facilities.
Focus On Savings You Can
TakeWithYou
ENERGY STAR
labeled office
equipment
represents a lasting investment for your
congregation. If you buy an ENERGY
STAR labeled computer, fax machine,
copier, or printer, the equipment stays
with you even if you move, so your
savings don't depend on the length of
your lease.
If You Rent, Refer Your
Landlord To Us
Landlords also can benefit from your
participation in ENERGY STAR for con-
gregations or their own participation
in the appropriate ENERGY STAR pro-
gram. Have your landlord call the
ENERGY STAR toll-free hotline at 1-888-
STAR-YES to discuss materials and
services specifically designed for
property managers.
20 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
-------
Verifying Savings
You can't see energy, so it can be
hard to tell if an upgrade is a
success. As an ENERGY STAR con-
gregational partner, you will want to
make sure that the money you invest in
implementing energy-efficiency mea-
sures provides the anticipated savings
on your utility bills. This section des-
cribes the features of successful pro-
grams and highlights principles you
can apply to quantify savings.
Compare Before And After
Utility Bills
Bill comparison provides you with a
way to quantify your savings after
implementing energy-efficiency mea-
sures. Because so many different
factors affect bills, this approach is
most revealing when you have imple-
mented major projects that should save
you more than 10 percent. Simply add
up your energy bills for the year pnor
to implementation of the measures and
for the year after project completion
Subtract the 12 months of "after" from
the 12 months of "before" and you will
have your gross cost savings.
You will need to adjust the gross
savings depending on differences in
behavior and changes in energy
prices and weather during the 2
years. For example, if your facilities
or hours expanded 20 percent over
the course of the 2 years, then it is
likely that your energy use increased as
well Take this into consideration. Many
utility bills will include a statement
about the number of "heating degree
days" that occurred during the billing
period. Bill analysis should take into
account yearly variations in weather.
For example, during a very mild winter,
your heating system might not be
running at full capacity; therefore,
energy savings associated with the
heating system might not be obvious.
Spot Metering
Spot metering is particularly applicable
for lighting upgrades Ask your lighting
contractor to turn on all the old lights
that are to be replaced, then measure
the current leaving the circuit breaker
and leading to the fixtures for at least
one circuit. After the upgrade is com-
plete, measure the current for the same
circuit and perform the following
calculations:
1. Subtract the lower post-upgrade
current from the higher pre-upgrade
current
Bill comparison lets you
quantify your savings after
you implement energy-
effident measures.
Verifying Savings: The Keys To A Successful Program
Your chances of truly lowering your costs will increase if you:
• Focus your upgrade projects on the areas of highest energy use at
the facility
• Focus on proven energy-efficiency technologies
• Meter before and after the job is complete
• "Commission" the project; that is, inspect and verify proper installation
and operation
• Find ENERGY STAR product and service providers located in the ENERGY STAR
directory
• Use internal or hired staff who have a track record of success
• Hire a top-quality contractor
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 21
-------
Getting The Job Done ,
2. Multiply the change in current by
the voltage to determine watts saved
on the circuit.
3. Divide watts saved by the number
of upgraded fixtures to determine
watts saved per fixture.
4. Compare the watts saved per fixture
to your expectations and the sup-
plier's quote
Insist that the current measurement be
done in your presence. This exercise
will take less than 10 minutes and will
give you confidence in the project's
success.
Extended Metering
Although installing additional meters to
measure energy consumption directly
usually is beyond the scope of energy-
efficiency projects, innovative strategies
may provide some of this information.
For example, if you install timers on
some equipment to facilitate scheduled
maintenance, these timers can be re-
corded to verify the performance of
energy savings measures that result in
reduced equipment operation hours.
Some programmable thermostats are
equipped with simple functions that
estimate the hours of heating or cool-
ing use; these could be used to test the
effectiveness of insulation measures.
Likewise, many energy management
systems (EMS) contain sophisticated
features for analysis of building energy
use that can be used to verify pre-
dicted savings.
Benefits Beyond The Meter
Measuring the financial performance
of your investment in energy-efficiency
technologies is important to ensure
the project's soundness. However, the
most significant results will be felt in
your congregation as you take on ste-
wardship of the earth. Members will be
proud to belong to a congregation that
cares about the world and excited by
your efforts, and may even take on
similar efforts in their homes, busi-
nesses, and schools, increasing the
benefit to the environment.
22 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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ENERGY STAR Support
For Congregations
Getting The job Done
ENERGY STAR for congregations is
voluntary and easy, and it will
help you save money. We're here
to help congregations apply cost-
effective and proven energy-efficiency
technologies. Congregations like yours
not only will save money, they also
will help lay the foundation for a
cleaner planet for future generations.
The family of ENERGY STAR—encom-
passing commercial and industrial
buildings, homes, office equipment,
appliances, and many other areas—
aims to reduce pollution and protect
our environment through application of
energy-efficiency technologies. Making
homes, businesses, and industry more
energy efficient reduces the amount of
pollution released into the atmosphere
because utilities don't need to generate
as much electricity. That means they
aren't burning as much fossil fuel, and
that, in turn, means they aren't releasing
pollutants into the atmosphere.
What Happens If You
Leave ENERGY STAR?
Your congregation will continue to pay
more than necessary for energy and your
pollution prevention contribution and
your financial and natural resource
stewardship opportunities will be missed.
Otherwise, ENERGY STAR is voluntary and
there are no penalties. EPA wants to help
you succeed in saving money and pre-
venting pollution, and as long as you are
willing, we will work with you to make
it happen. Your congregation can reap
the rewards of lower costs; more com-
fortable, higher quality facilities; and the
knowledge that you are helping protect
the environment.
Pollution Prevented
Through Energy Savings
For each kilowatt-hour (kWh) that you
save through the application of energy-
efficiency technologies, you reduce the
emissions of carbon dioxide (COp,
sulfur dioxide (SOp, and nitrogen
oxides (NOp by the amounts shown in
your region (see page 24). Excessive
carbon dioxide emission is a primary
cause of global climate change, sulfur
dioxide is a key constituent of acid
rain, and nitrogen oxides are respon-
sible for smog. You will save money
and help the environment at the same
time, and your community will appre-
ciate your efforts.
Pollution prevention efforts vary around
the country because electric utilities
use a variety of fuels and various types
of power plants to generate your elec-
tricity. In the Pacific Northwest, where
hydroelectric dams are prevalent, emis-
sions rates are comparatively low. The
environmental impact can be just as
high, however, because of salmon mi-
gration disruption and other issues. In
other regions the mix of "clean" coal,
"dirty" coal, natural gas, nuclear power,
and renewable sources such as wind
turbine farms affects emission rates.
An exciting prospect for the deregu-
lated future is the marketing of "green
pricing" by electric utilities. Already
pilot-tested in parts of California and
Pennsylvania, green pricing allows
customers to specify that they want
their electricity to be generated from
renewable sources (solar or wind) or
from particularly clean-burning power
plants. In exchange the customer pays
a slightly higher cost for this higher
ENERGY STAR wants to help
you succeed in saving
money and preventing
pollution, and as long as
you are willing, we'll help
you make it happen.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 23
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Getting The Job Done
Map Of Pollution Prevented Per 1,000 kWh Saved
EPA Pollution
Emission Region
10
Carbon Dioxide
(CO2) Pounds/Year
1,100
1,200
HB 1,600 HH
1,500
•:':.:-^:-.li«jfti.,:j,'^*:;
1,700
2,000
2,200
1,000 ;m
100
Sulfur Dioxide
(SO2) Pounds/Year
.,:,:„,. 8.8 ,: = :,;r
7.5
IIP .7,1. :••:•"-
15.2
22.9 ;;.;•;
4.9
It: 7.7 Hji
7.3
2.4
I.I
Nitrogen Oxides
(NO,) Pounds/Year
BB; 3.1
2.9
5.5
5.5
7.1
3.3
0.7
grade of power. Look for green power
in the future. Information can be found
at www.epa.gov/congregations.
Congregant Home Offices
The growth of the Internet, telecom-
muting, and decentralized sales forces
have triggered a huge increase in the
number of home offices. Some of your
congregation members may have offices
or businesses in their homes and would
like to consider the benefits of ENERGY
STAR labeled office equipment and our
residential support services. ENERGY STAR
labeled homes use 30 percent less en-
ergy than required by the national
Model Energy Code and have other
health and comfort advantages. (See
page 19 for an example of upgrades
made to an existing home office.) Call
1-888-STAR-YES or visit the Web site at
www.epa.gov/smallbiz and click on
"Home Based Businesses" for more
information.
Additional Resources
• wv\fw.energystar.gov (for your home)
• www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/
energy_savers/
• www.ase.org/checkup/home/
• www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/
factshcet.html
• www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/
forhome.html
• www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/
finance.html
24 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical
Support
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Technical Support
Financial Analysis
ENERGY STAR for congregations
finance directory is available on-
line in searchable format, with
direct links to participating lend-
ers. Alternatively, you can call the toll-
free hotline at 1-888-STAR-YES to
request the list for your area
Consider a congregation with annual
energy costs of $25,000. If a compre-
hensive upgrade program could reduce
energy use by 30 percent, this congre-
gation could save $7,500 per year.
Assume that the cost of implementing
these measures results in a 3-year
simple payback, which is typical. In
delaying the upgrade, this congrega-
tion is forfeiting a low-risk investment
opportunity at 27-percent interest.
Indirect Financial Benefits
In addition, the total return on your
project includes these additional financial
components that are quite real, if indirect:
Increased Member And Staff Com-
fort. Building upgrades will improve
your facility's appearance and help
your members be comfortable.
Operations And Maintenance
Savings. Many energy-efficiency
technologies significantly reduce
your operations and maintenance
requirements, saving money and
staff time.
Enhanced Employee Productivity.
Due to enhanced comfort and im-
proved lighting conditions, staff pro-
ductivity may increase.
Protection From Energy Inflation.
By performing energy-saving upgrades,
you replace part of the variable monthly
expense of your energy bills with fixed-
cost capital improvements. Lower energy
use always results in lower costs—more
so if energy prices rise.
Educational Benefits. Your participa-
tion in ENERGY STAR for congregations
communicates your commitment to
environmental stewardship. This mes-
sage will help members understand
Savings from your energy
b/7/s may help fund your
congregation's other
projects.
What Is Energy Worth To You?
The following table may be of interest to members of your congregation who
operate a business-type facility (e.g., a bookstore).
I. You've got a great energy savings idea. How much (A) $
will it save per year?
2. Enter your pretax profit as a percentage of sales: (B)_
percent
3. Divide A by B: (C).
Line (C) shows your equivalent annual increase in sales once your savings have
paid for the cost of the measure. The table below will help you quickly look up
the equivalent sales amount
Equivalent Annual Increase In Sales
Annual Cost
Savings For
The Measure
$10
$100
$1,000
$10,000
$100,000
Profit As A Percentage Of Sales
2%
$500
$5,000
$50,000
$500,000
$5,000,000
5%
$200
$2,000
$20,000
$200,000
$2,000,000
10%
$100
$1,000
$10.000
$100,000
$1,000,000
20%
$50
$500
$5,000
$50,000
$500,000
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 27
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Technical Support
Simple Payback: / Marginal
A Typical Ranking ^/Combine with other work
\ 7+ years
X Satisfactory Investment f\
i^— n/
| 4-7 years \f
/Good Investment /
H D
\v t
1 .5-4 years u z
,
/Excellent Investment A
Implement immediately /U J$
0-1.5 years [f ^
A
r|
-S
1
>
S/mp/e payback Is the
number of years it takes
to recover the cost of the
energy upgrade from the
energy savings (see the
chart on page 46 or use
the online calculator
located at www.epa.govl
congregations).
what they can do in their own homes,
businesses, and places of employment.
Your exact mix of indirect benefits
will vary by building type and up-
grades performed. For many projects,
these indirect benefits will be worth
several times the money you save in
energy alone.
Calculating The Worth
Once you are convinced that energy-
efficiency investments make financial
sense in general, you still have to
evaluate individual upgrades to decide
which ones to pursue. The two most
common evaluation tools are simple
payback and internal rate of return
(IRR).
Simple Payback. Simple payback is
the number of years it takes to recover
the cost of the energy upgrade from
the energy savings. A simple payback
of less than 4 years indicates a worth-
while project. Measures with simple
payback times of less than 1.5 years
are excellent opportunities and should
be implemented immediately.
Example Of A Simple Payback
Calculation: Your utility gives you a
free energy assessment and tells you
that if you replace 20, 100-watt incan-
descent bulbs used 24 hours a day in
your stairways with 30-watt compact
fluorescent bulbs, you'll save $980 per
year. The upgrade will cost you $400.
Your simple payback is $400 -r $980 =
0.4 year, or just under 5 months. The
only significant shortcoming of the
simple payback concept is that it
doesn't take into account the expected
life of the upgrade. For example, if the
compact fluorescent lamps described
above lasted only as long as incan-
descent lamps, they would burn out
in less than 3 months. Fortunately,
compact fluorescent lamps last eight
to 10 times longer, so you might want
your analysis to take that into account.
IRR. Expressing an upgrade in terms
of IRR helps you compare the financial
results of an upgrade against other
investments. (See the glossary for a
definition of IRR.) To calculate IRR,
you'll want to use a computer spread-
sheet program or a financial calculator;
you can use the table on the following
page as a general reference.
You can compare the IRR you calcu-
late with the interest rates available at
banks or through other investments.
A good rule of thumb is that projects
with IRRs above 20 percent are ex-
cellent investments and should be
implemented.
28 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Compare Your Energy-Efficiency Investments To The Interest Rates You Can Get At A Bank
This table will tell you the IRR if you have already calculated the simple payback.
Simple Payback
8 years
6 years
5 years
4 years
3 years
2.5 years
2 years
1.5 years
1 year
0.5 years
0 years
OX
100%
1 year
0%
22%
62%
173%
2 years
0%
10%
23%
45%
84%
192%
3 years
0%
13%
22%
35%
55%
93%
197%
4 years
0%
8%
20%
29%
41%
60%
97%
199%
5 years
0%
5%
13%
24%
33%
45%
63%
98%
200%
6 years
0%
7%
12%
19%
29%
37%
48%
65%
100%
200%
8 years
4%
11%
15%
21%
31%
38%
49%'
66%
100%
200%
10 years
Lifetime of new equipment or length of your planning horizon, whichever is shorter
Example Of IRR: Converting a heat-
ing system from natural gas unit heat-
ers to gas-fired radiant heaters will cost
$6,000 and save $1,500 a year, which
is a simple payback of 4 years. You
can calculate the IRR for this invest-
ment as 21 percent (using a 10-year
planning horizon), which makes it a
very good financial option. Compare
this with bank interest rates or other
investments you might make to decide
whether to implement this upgrade.
Where Can I Learn More?
Call the toll-free ENERGY STAR hotline at
1-888-STAR-YES and ask for the bro-
chures listed below:
• Introducing Your Company's Newest
Profit Center, EPA 430-R-97-004.
Congregational members' businesses
can benefit from the concept that
energy upgrades are financial in-
vestments just like other business
uses of capital.
Business Analysis for Energy-
Efficiency Investments, EPA 430-B-
97-002. This brochure describes in
more detail the business-analysis
approach you can use to decide
if a particular upgrade or set of
upgrades makes sense.
Financing Your Energy-Efficiency
Upgrade, EPA 430-B-97-003- This
brochure describes the many finan-
cial and accounting aspects of up-
grade projects in great detail. Use
this information to finance your
projects to have the best impact
on your balance sheet, cash flow,
taxes, and ultimate return.
Upgrades should generally
be implemented if the IRR
is above 20 percent
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 29
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Technical Support
Prioritizing Your Projects
Use the ENERGY STAR five-stage
concept to help organize a
strategy for putting potential
upgrades on a timeline. Each
stage of the program builds on the
previous stages to maximize potential
energy savings, minimize investment
requirements, and improve comfort
and profitability for your congregation.
Stage One: Lighting
Many buildings spend half their electri-
city costs on lighting, so it makes sense
to address lighting first to reduce your
energy costs. Efficient lighting pays for
itself quickly. Lighting upgrades such
as installation of compact fluorescent
lamps and light emitting diode (LED)
exit signs are relatively simple to imple-
ment and can deliver the expected cost
savings reliably. Upgrade your lighting
before changing your cooling system
because increasing your lighting effi-
ciency lowers your air-conditioning re-
quirements. Also, in the winter, some
of your heat comes from your lighting,
which is expensive. New lights operate
much cooler than old lights; use your
heating system instead. ENERGY STAR ex-
perience shows that successful lighting
upgrades provide congregational part-
ners with dramatic savings and posi-
tive reinforcement for pursuing further
projects. Lighting upgrades often im-
prove lighting quality, and enhance
the appearance of your facility inside
and out. For all of these reasons, we
recommend you start with lighting as
your first upgrade area.
Stage Two: Building Tune-Up
Tune the energy systems in your
building to optimal performance by
addressing operations, maintenance,
and small repairs. You can do many
tune-up activities yourself, such as
cleaning equipment and replacing
filters Other tune-up measures—such
as adjusting your furnace or repairing
malfunctioning controls—will require
the services of contractors. Stage Two
upgrades improve occupant comfort
and indoor air quality, and the up-
grades are no-cost or low-cost strate-
gies that lay the foundation for further
savings in later stages.
StageThree:
Load Reduction
Load reduction strategies reduce the
amount of heating, cooling, or electric-
ity use through low-cost measures that
are easy to implement. Reducing the
amount of heated or cooled air that
escapes from your building through
cracks in windows or ducts will reduce
your heating and cooling costs. Win-
dow films, shades, and awnings will
reduce heat gain in the summer. You
also can take advantage of landscaping
measures such as adding trees and
vines to block direct sunlight.
Take simple steps to ensure that lights
and office equipment are not left on
by accident and select ENERGY STAR
labeled new equipment to guarantee
the best future savings.
Each stage of the program
builds on the previous
stages to maximize
potential energy savings,
minimize investment
requirements, and improve
comfort and profitability.
Putting Energy '"to Stewardship 31
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Technical Support
Stage Four: Heating And
Cooling Distribution
System
In this stage, you should evaluate the
efficiency of the fans and pumps
associated with the heating, ventilating,
and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in
your building. Upgrades to your distri-
bution system will save energy while
improving occupant comfort.
Stage Five: Heating And
Cooling Plant
By implementing Stages One through
Four, you will reduce the overall
heating and cooling requirements in
your facility and will be able to afford
smaller and more efficient heating and
cooling units. Because replacing heat-
ing or cooling equipment requires the
largest commitment of capital, we
recommend that you implement these
replacements last. This is the stage
when all your previous hard work and
commitment will pay off.
The five-stage concept is illustrated in
the chart on this page.
Where Can I Learn More?
If you would like more information on
the technical aspects of the ENERGY STAR
five-stage approach to building improve-
ments, you can view the ENERGY STAR
Buildings Manual at www.epa.gov/
buildings/esbhome/tools/building.html.
Stage Five:
Heating And
Cooling Plant
• Reduce size after
Stages One through
Four upgrades
• Offers maintenance
advantages
• High savings potential
but large investment
Stage One:
Lighting
Fast payback
• Improves comfort
• Reduces cooling costs
Stage Two:
BuildingTune-Up
• Low-cost measures
• Operations and maintenance
• Reduces heating and cooling costs
Stage Four:
Heating And Cooling
Distribution System
• Resize the system to meet
new loads
• Install advanced controls
StageThree:
Load Reduction
• ENERGY STAR labeled
office equipment
• Windows, window films,
awnings
• Seal cracks
• Insulate water heater
32 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Lighting Part I: Concepts
Approximately 75 percent of all
ENERGY STAR for congregations
partner upgrades are related to
lighting. Because lighting upgrades
are so popular, we have included this
special section on lighting concepts. If
you have time to read it, you can be an
informed shopper when you listen to
contractor upgrade proposals or find
your own lighting improvement oppor-
tunities. If you don't have the time,
aren't interested in the background
science, or just want to focus on ac-
tion, go straight to the next section,
Lighting Part II: Upgrades. There, we
introduce specific suggestions on how
to improve your lighting by upgrading
your fixtures.
Whether illuminating your place of
worship or providing security for your
parking lot, lighting is one utility that
your congregation cannot do without.
The amount and quality of light can
significantly affect the quality of your
facility and religious services. At the
same time, lighting costs form a signifi-
cant part of your electric bill.
Fortunately, modern technology makes
it possible for many congregations to
improve lighting quality while reducing
costs. This section reviews how to
determine the right amount of light for
your building, discusses lighting quality
issues such as color and glare, and
introduces the different types of lighting
technologies in use. Of course we must
always remember that the least costly
and longest-lasting light bulb is the one
that is off!
Light Levels
When everyone worked with pencils,
paper, and typewriters, architects made
sure that working environments had an
abundance of light everywhere. Now
that so many office environments re-
quire the use of computers, ideal light
levels and configurations are different
and often lower than in the past. Your
congregation also may want softer, even
dramatic lighting at times. This means
you may have the opportunity to reduce
your lighting costs and improve your
worship and learning environments at
the same time. Since removing lamps
often requires nothing more than getting
on a ladder and pulling out the bulbs,
the cost can be negligible and you can
start saving money immediately.
Although personal preferences play a
large role in optimizing light levels, the
Illuminating Engineering Society (IBS)
provides recommended light levels for
different activities as shown in the
graph on this page.
Recommended Light Levels For
Selected Activities
Graphics studio
Kitchen, classrooms,
handwriting, cutting
Conference room,
cashier, reading
Religious worship
Auditorium seating,
halls, restrooms
Restaurant dining,
social hall, storage
Public areas, dark
surroundings
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Recommended overall ambient light levels (in footcandles)
Source: Adapted from IES.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 33
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Technical Support.
Task lighting focuses extra
light just where you need it
and can reduce glare and
eye strain.
Compare Your Light Levels With
Recommended Levels. To compare
your lighting with recommended
levels, you need to know your own
existing light levels. Call your lighting
contractor and ask for measurements.
Alternatively, you may want to con-
sider buying your own light meter.
They cost about $125 and are available
from lighting supply catalogs If you
buy your own meter, be sure to have
a lighting expert train you before you
use it. Windows, reflections, and
shadows will distort your readings
if you're not careful.
Just Try It You don't have to bother
with all those technical criteria. Re-
move a couple of lamps for a couple
of days, and if you like the new ar-
rangement, stick with it.
Consider Task Lighting. Just because
you want bright light in one area doesn't
mean you need the whole room lit at
that level See if you can reduce light
levels in some areas and focus light
only where you need it. This is called
"task-ambient lighting" This type of
lighting design provides a blanket of
lower level, "ambient" light for orienta-
tion around large objects together with
small fixtures shining on the "task." The
current IES recommendations for com-
puter use, for example, are 25 foot-
candles ambient, with a task or desk
light providing 75 footcandles at the
work surface.
Experiment With Dayllghtlng. Turn
off lights near windows during day-
time hours; you can do this manually
with a time clock or with special
"daylighting" sensors made just for this
purpose This will enhance the beauty
of stained glass or other special win-
dow decorations.
Light Quality
Isn't it frustrating to stare at your
computer screen and constantly find
yourself looking at the reflection of a
ceiling fixture? Have you seen volun-
teers tape cardboard around their
monitors? Does the light in the rest-
room make your face look pasty and
less attractive than you know you
looked at home this morning? It's not
that your place of worship is bad for
your looks. All light is not the same.
These and other problems are lighting
flaws that often can be overcome
when you install more efficient light-
ing. Let's consider solutions to the
problems one by one.
Solution 1: Task-Ambient Lighting.
A solution that more and more interior
designers recommend is a combination
of background ambient and task light-
ing. Designers generally agree that spot
lighting gives a pleasant ambience, but
it can cost more to install because it
requires more fixtures. Because the
overall amount of light produced is
lower with a mix of background and
spot lighting, the arrangement uses less
electricity. The extra fixture investment
can pay for itself quickly in savings on
your electric bills.
Solution 2: Upgrade Fixtures. Many
older fluorescent fixtures use a pris-
matic plastic lens to scatter light around
the room. This was great before the
computer age because it helped to en-
sure that all areas were evenly lit, but
lenses can create bright spots in your
field of view. Now that computers are
used more frequently, the preferred
solution often is to use fixtures with
parabolic louvers that direct light where
you need it while lowering glare. If
you're considering an upgrade in a
room with computers, ask your de-
signer or contractor about switching
to fixtures with louvers.
34 Puffing Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Solution 3: Improve Color. All lamps
distort color compared with true sun-
light, but some lamps distort less than
others. This property of lighting is called
color rendition. Lamps that render close
to true color have a color-rendering
index (CRI) between 85 and 100. A CRI
of 50 is very poor. If you upgrade to
T-8 lamps from just about any type of
T-12 lamps, your color rendition usu-
ally can be improved at the same time.
Different Kinds Of Lights
Different types of lighting are available
with a broad range of lighting efficien-
cies and varying degrees of color
distortion. The efficiency of lighting
(more technically called efficacy) is
measured by the light output per unit
of energy use. Common incandescent
lamps have poor efficacies, while
fluorescent lamps have much higher
efficacies. See the box on this page for
illustrations of the major lamp types.
Incandescent. Modern incandescent
.,— lamps derive from Thomas
f \ Edison's work before the
I } turn of the century. They are
\ / inefficient and usually have
sg short lives but produce a
^& pleasant color rendering similar
to that of natural sunlight.
Halogen. In the past 5 years, halogens
have surged in popularity.
Halogen lamps are about
twice as efficient as regular
incandescent lamps and
have longer lives. Halogen spotlights
focus light and add a lot of pleasing
"sparkle." However, they are relatively
expensive and cost more to operate
than all other types of lamps except
incandescents.
Types Of Lighting
Lighting Technology
Incandescent
Halogen
Compact
Fluorescent
Tubular
Fluorescent
High-Intensity
Discharge (HID)
Low-Pressure
Sodium
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 35
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Technical Support
Less than 5 percent of
the electricity consumed
by an incandescent lamp
actually is turned into
useful light
Compact Fluorescent. Compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are
miniature versions of standard
fluorescent lamps and usually
are coated to make their color
\t. ^ more similar to that of incan-
\Zr descent lamps. CFLs are four
times as efficient as incandes-
cents and last 10 times as long in
many cases (significantly reducing the
cost of changeouts, particularly in
hard-to-reach areas), so they too are
growing in popularity.
Tubular Fluorescent. The ubiquitous
fluorescent lamps have a
wide range of efficiency
but in general are about
four times as efficient as
incandescent lamps. They
are cheap, last as long as 20,000 hours,
and are the staple of office lighting
throughout the country.
High-Intensity Discharge (HID).
This category of lamp includes
metal halide and high-pressure
sodium. HID lamps tradi-
tionally have been used
mostly in warehouses and in
street lighting, but new re-
search and development have
created a market for lower power
lamps for institutional environments.
HID lamps offer good color, long life,
and inexpensive high ceiling and
security lighting.
Comparison Of Lighting Efficiency
Least Efficient
Most Efficient
»
Incandescent
Halogen
Compact
Fluorescent
Tube Fluorescent
Mercury Vapor
Metal Halide
High-Pressure Sodium
-White HPS
- Deluxe
- Standard
Low-Pressure Sodium
50 75 100 125
Efficiency (Lumens Per Watt)
150
175
*Note: Light sources are not necessarily interchangeable and are commonly used in different applications (see
page 39). Comparison is purely based on efficiency.
36 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Success Story
Because same congregations' members own or operate businesses (bookstores
and so an), we are presenting the fallowing success story
Saving With The Right Light Levels
A growing Finn in Portland, OR, signed a 10-year lease to occupy a 30-year-
old, 50,000-sq.ft. office building. The business planned to renovate much
of the space before moving in. Renovation plans for each 10-ft by 12-ft.
office in the building included replacing a pair of old, 4-lamp, 4-foot
fluorescent fixtures in each office with a pair of new 4-lamp fixtures that
had high-efficiency lamps and electronic ballasts.
Fortunately, the business asked its design consultant to check the light
levels before signing off on the remodel drawings. The consultant checked
and found that the existing bght levels were about 75 footcandles (units
of measure), when 50 footcandles would have been plenty. So at no cost
to the tenant, the designer changed the construction specifications to 3-lamp
fixtures There were 200 offices affected by this renovation, meaning that
the firm saved more than $15,000 in 10 years by asking a simple question.
That's a good deal.
Better Lighting Increases Comfort
New energy-efficient lighting can do more than just reduce your utility bills.
It can also add value by:
• Improving comfort and performance for congregational staff, volunteers,
and members working in the congregational office. Energy-efficient lighting
generates less localized heat than standard lighting, provides more pleasant color
rendition, and helps prevent headaches by reducing the amount of flickering from the
lights.Your office staff will work better when their work environment is comfortable,
and better lighting will allow members to be less distracted and concentrate more
on your congregational message.
• Improving appearances. Better color rendition means that your house of worship
will look its best Your congregation will have better control over the ambience, feelings
of comfort, and overall experience that people have in /our facility.
• Improving your congregation's stewardship will help lead your members and
their employers to consider becoming more environmentally responsible
within your community. Your members will appreciate and share your efforts to
lower pollution and protect the Earth for future generations.
Puffin; Energy Into Stewardship 37
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Technical Support
Lighting Part II: Upgrades
What's your share of $17 billion?
That's the amount EPA esti-
mates that United States build-
ing owners and tenants could
save each year from lighting upgrades.
In this section, we will help you iden-
tify lighting fixtures and controls in
your facility that can be replaced
while keeping your investments at a
3-year simple payback or less. Many
ideas pay for themselves in less than
one year. Let's get started!
If you don't have time to read this
whole section, just take a quick look
at the next page. It's our Thrifty Fa-
cility Manager's High-Speed Do-It-
Yourself Lighting Assessment. Take
a look at the list and call your lighting
or electrical contractor if you have any
of the fixtures noted. It's that easy.
The rest of this section expands on
the ideas in the High-Speed Lighting
Assessment and explores more com-
prehensive upgrades as well.
Remove Incandescent
Lamps
^—^ Replace these lamps with any-
M thing else. Of the electricity
consumed by an incandescent
\ / lamp, less than five percent is
^3 actually turned into useful light.
1*»r Although incandescent lamps are
appropriate for certain low-use areas
such as closets, in most instances, in-
candescent lamps should be replaced.
Incandescent Lamp Replacement Options
Halogen
Compact fluorescent
Fluorescent tube
Metal halide
High-pressure sodium
LED
Highlights selected areas. Example of application:
a religious symbol in your house of worship.
Uses the same screw-in fixture. Example of
application: hallway.
For general lighting.
For white light in high-ceiling areas. Example of
application: large public area.
For use outside or where color doesn't matter.
Example of application: outside security.
For exit signs.
Note: Dimmable replacements are available from some manufacturers.
Note: "Energy saver" incandescent
lamps aren't much more efficient than
regular incandescent lamps. They save
you money just by delivering less light.
Usually, this is not the best solution.
Replace Incandescent Lamps With
Halogen Lamps. Halogen lamps are a
type of incandescent lamp
that is at least twice as
efficient as regular incan-
descent lamps. They last
two to four times longer than most in-
candescent lamps and have become
increasingly popular in spotlighting
and other decorative applications.
As an upgrade, the combination of
better color, higher efficacy, and better
cone reflectors means that many users
can replace 150-watt floodlights with
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 39
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Technical Support
The Thrifty Facility Manager's High-Speed Do-It-Yourself Lighting Assessment
Do you have any of the following?
EXISTING LAMPS
Incandescent lamps
Incandescent exit signs
Four or more fluorescent or
incandescent fixtures on a
single circuit
Incandescent, halogen, or mercury
vapor security lighting
Fluorescent lamps and ballasts
more than 8 years old
USED AT
LEAST
6 hrsVday
24 hrsVday
4 hrs./day more
than needed
lOhrsJday
lOhrsJday
If you do, here are some of your savings opportunities.
OLD
Incandescent
Incandescent exit
signs
Four or more fluorescent or
incandescent fixtures on a
single circuit
Incandescent or mercury
vapor security lighting
Fluorescent lamps and ballasts
more than 8 years old
NEW
Compact fluorescent
LED exit signs
Occupancy sensor
Metal halide (white) or
sodium (light yellow)
T-8 lamp with
electronic ballasts
SAVE
($/yr/lamp)
$12 energy +
$3 O&M*
$22 energy +
$11 O&M*
$4 to $16 +
$4 O&M*
$40
$5
PAYBACK
IN LESS THAN
2yrs.
3yrs.
3 yrs.
4yrs.
5 yrs.
"Operations and maintenance
40 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
35- or 60-watt halogen lamps and still
get brighter, more focused light that
has better color rendition. The most
popular halogen lamps cost about $7
(compared with $1 for incandescent
lamps), but they last four times as long
as incandescent lamps and save about
$25 in energy costs over their lifetime.
The high operating temperatures of
halogen bulbs can be a fire and per-
sonal safety hazard in some applica-
tions, so ask for advice when you first
buy and install the lamps. In general,
halogens are recommended for flood-
light and spotlight applications only.
Halogen lamp retrofits typically pay for
themselves in less than 3 years in
energy savings alone if the fixtures for
screw-in retrofits are used at least 2
hours a day or if fixture replacements
are used at least 8 hours a day.
Replace Incandescent
Lamps With Compact Fluo-
rescent Lamps (CFLs). CFLs
have been specifically made
in a compact form to replace
incandescent lamps in tradi-
tional screw-in fixtures. Compact fluo-
rescent technology has improved
recently, and the lamps currently avail-
able in the marketplace are brighter
and have very good color rendition
properties. For example, most modern
hotels have installed CFLs for corridor
lighting. The fixture pictured on this
page contains a CFL and costs less than
$40. Compact fluorescent fixtures with
reflectors provide an excellent substi-
tute for floodlamps. Care should be
exercised when considering CFLs for
worship spaces. Perhaps you can test a
few for acceptability prior to making
wholesale changeouts.
The table at right shows the equiva-
lency of CFLs to incandescent lamps.
You can replace these yourself; most
major hardware stores stock CFLs that
can be used in place of incandescent
lamps and cost less than $20. Utility
rebates can reduce your cost even
further.
Replace Incandescent
Lamps With Tubular
Fluorescent Lamps.
Fluorescent lamps are
the common tube lamps
found in nearly every nonresidential
building. They are usually about three
to four times more efficient than incan-
descent lamps and can last eight to
20 times longer. With newer fluores-
cent lamps, you can also specify
color correction to avoid the pasty
image traditionally associated with
fluorescent lamps.
Tubular fluorescent lamps have much
lower maintenance costs than incan-
descent or compact fluorescent lamps.
Replace your incandescent lamps with
just about any variety of fluorescent
lamp and your lighting, energy, operat-
ing, and maintenance costs may de-
crease by about 75 percent.
Would you believe this attractive
fixture is made specifically for
compact fluorescent lamps and
costs less than $40?
If You Have
Incandescent Lamps
25 watts
40 watts
60 watts
75 watts
100 watts
Replace Them With These
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
5 watts
7 watts
13 watts
22 watts
27 watts
Comparing Incandescent Lamps And Fluorescent Lamps
Lamp
Type
Incandescent
Fluorescent
Energy
Costs
Much Higher
Much Lower
First
Cost
Lower
Higher
Life
Shorter
Longer
Color
Good
Better to
Worse
Replacement
Costs
Higher
Lower
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 41
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Technical Support
[EXIT)
Replace Incandescent
Exit Signs With light
Emitting Diode (LED)
Exit Signs. LED exit signs use light
emitting diodes commonly seen in
electronic devices such as clock radios.
You can buy an upgrade kit to con-
vert existing exit signs for $25 to $75
and do it yourself, or you can pur-
chase new fixtures and install them
for less than $100. Because the up-
grade kits don't require any wiring,
they are easier than new signs to
install yourself if there is room inside
Annual Operating Cost Per Exit Sign
§.
u
3
«
o
3
2 15-watt
Incandescent
4-watt LED
Exit Sign Type
Tech Talk: Components Of A Light Fixture
Housing/Reflector
Lamps
Lens/Louver
the panel to install them. LED exit
signs use about 5 percent of the
energy used by incandescent exit
signs and 20 percent of the energy
used by compact fluorescent exit
signs. LED exit signs also last 10 to
20 times longer.
The best LED exit signs on the market
today are produced by manufacturers
that follow EPA ENERGY STAR guidelines
for energy efficiency and conform to
Underwriters Laboratory (UL) stan-
dards for safety. Look for the ENERGY
STAR label when purchasing your new
exit sign. Given their installation costs,
lower maintenance costs, and low
energy costs, they generally pay for
themselves in one to 3 years. For
more information on ENERGY STAR
manufacturers, you can visit our Web
site at www.epa.gov. See the bar
chart on this page for annual operat-
ing costs for exit signs.
Upgrade Fluorescent
Lamps
Even within the generally
efficient category of fluo-
rescent lighting, you can
reduce your energy use
by more than 66 percent
by changing from the worst to the
best type of fluorescent tubes. Fluo-
rescent lamps were introduced at the
World's Fair in New York City and the
Golden Gate International Exposition
in San Francisco in 1939. Surprisingly,
their designs changed little over the
years until recent breakthroughs that
have significantly improved their
efficiency and the quality of the light
they produce.
T-8 Lamps And Electronic Ballasts.
T-8 lamps use smaller diameters,
phosphors, and coating to improve
efficiency by about 10 percent com-
pared with standard T-12 lamps. Their
electronic ballasts use about 30 per-
cent less energy than old magnetic
42 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
ballasts do. (Ballasts are devices that
provide the proper voltage and current
to fluorescent lamps, which don't
regulate themselves like incandescent
lamps.) T-8 conversions cost $50 to
$100 per fixture, so you might wonder
if it is worth the trouble. The answer
depends on your local electricity costs
and how often you use the lights.
Generally, if you use the lamps 60
If you're not using
T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts in
your fluorescent fixtures, you're using
vintage 1940s lighting technology.
hours per week or more, the answer is
"yes" or at least "yes, it's worth finding
out more information." All you need to
do is ask your local lighting contractor
or electric utility company to perform a
detailed analysis for you. This can
usually be done free of charge.
Other Ideas. T-8 lamps and electronic
ballasts aren't your only solution.
Modest gains are achieved from 34-
watt "energy saver" lamps. As dis-
cussed later in this section, de-lamping
and/or reflectors can also help. Some
designers are switching from fluores-
cent tubes to lower power metal halide
fixtures for a more industrial look.
Consider the example scenario shown
at the bottom of this page. There are
four different retrofit options; none is
the single "right" answer. They are all
viable, cost-saving, quality-enhancing
ideas. Choosing among them is a
financial and design decision.
Explore Your Options
A congregation has 20,4-lamp, 4-foot fluorescent fixtures in an office area.They are on about 50 hours a week. Recommended
light level is between 50 and 75 footcandles.
Current Light Level 95 footcandles
Current Energy Use 9,984 kWh/year
Current Annual Energy Costs (at $0.08/kWh) $799
Energy Cost Annual Simple Light Light
Savings $ Savings Payback Level Quality
Upgrade Options kWh/Year $ Years
Option I:Install 34-watt"energy saver" lamps.
Light level is lowered to about 85 footcandles.
Option 2: Install four T-8 lamps and an electronic
ballast in each fixture. Light level remains the same.
Option 3: Install two T-8 lamps in each fixture,
with a specular reflector. Fixtures are "tandem
wired" so two fixtures share a single ballast.
Light level becomes 55 footcandles.
Option 4: Install new deep-cell parabolic
fixtures with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts.
Fixtures are "tandem wired" and light level
becomes 55 footcandles.
1,664 $360 $133
3,744 $1,280 $300
6,916 $1,340 $553
6,916 $2,600 $553
2.7 Improved Slightly better
4.3 Still too high Much better
2.4 Ideal Much better
4.7 Ideal
Ideal
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 43
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Technical Support
If you replace your outside
security incandescent
lamps with sodium lamps,
your costs may decrease
by 80 to 90 percent
Install High-Intensity
Lamps
If your facility has high
ceilings and doesn't have
fluorescent lamps, you
probably use HID lamps. If
you have older types of HID
lighting, you have several
upgrade options.
Upgrade From Mercury Vapor. At a
bare minimum, you should replace
mercury vapor lamps with more effi-
cient metal halide lamps as the old
lamps burn out. Even if you need to
replace the ballast or the whole fix-
ture, it turns out to be economical for
almost everyone and no one can even
tell you're doing it. Metal halide lamps
render colors better than mercury
vapor lamps. They come in a variety
of power outputs, from 50 to 2,000
watts, and have long lives.
They also come with clear or coated
bulbs. The coated bulb has the best
color rendition property and can be
used for display lighting.
You've probably seen metal halide
lights without even realizing it. Most
of the new "big box" retail stores are
illuminated using metal halides. They
are the bright white lights typically
hung from the ceiling girders at 20 to
30 feet. Their typical payback is 5
years, and the intangible benefit of
better security lighting is very valuable
and immediate.
Also, manufacturers have recently started
selling small metal halide spotlights. The
bright white light combined with the
narrow beam and sparkle can make
selected objects really stand out—the
benefits of halogen with lower energy
costs!
Use Metal Halide Or High-Pressure
Sodium In Large, Open Areas.
Choose high-pressure sodium where
light quality is not critical and rock-
bottom energy use is the goal. The
typical payback based on 12-hour-
per-day use is about 3 years.
Use metal halide instead in high-profile
or color-sensitive areas or in areas where
people need to perform detailed work,
and install high-pressure sodium lamps
outside. High-pressure sodium lamps
are popular for outdoor and security
lighting. They come in a variety of
power outputs, from 35 to 1,000 watts,
and have about a 20,000-hour life.
Existing: Five 150-Watt PAR38 Incandescent
Floodlights
(1,740 lumens each)
Labor cost
15%
Energy cost
60%
Lamp cost
25%
Replace With: Two 70-Watt High-Pressure
Sodium Wallpacks
(4,630 lumens each)
Lamp cost
.8%
h.
Energy cost
15%
Labor cost
3%
44 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Sodium lamps are the most effi-
cient lamps you can buy. Most
of them have a light yellow tint,
but some of the newer lamps
have an attractive white color
rendition. These new lamps tend
to fade from white after a certain
number of hours of use, so be sure to
discuss the issue with your contractor
prior to installation in nonstorage areas.
Watch out for low-pressure sodium
lamps. They are efficient but have a
very murky yellow color and are
usually not recommended.
If you replace your outside security
incandescent lamps with high-pressure
sodium lamps, your costs may de-
crease between 80 and 90 percent.
The typical payback time is less than
2 years, and you will likely have much
better lighting than you do now.
For outdoor applications, consider
installing shields to reduce excessive
glare and focus the light where you
want it. An action as simple as focusing
exterior lighting downward at night can
potentially save a tremendous amount
of energy. The International Dark Sky
Association is dedicated to protecting
our night sky from wasteful light pollu-
tion. For more information on how your
congregation can save money while
enhancing our view of the universe,
please visit www.darksky.org.
Remove Lamps
What could be a better deal than getting
savings with no upfront cost' In many
offices, two lamps in a 4-lamp fluores-
cent fixture may be removed and light-
ing may still meet recommended levels.
People working on computers will pro-
bably prefer the lower level because it
increases the contrast on their monitors.
You can experiment to see if removing
lamps makes sense in your facility. Cor-
ridors also are good places to start be-
cause these areas often are overlit. Cost:
$0. Simple payback time: 0.0 years.
Your electrician can quickly replace an existing wall switch with
an occupancy sensor. You'll save money because the sensor will
turn the lights off when the room is unoccupied.
Lowering the number of lamps also can
be an excellent measure when com-
bined with installation of reflectors.
Reflectors are not for everyone. We've
found reflectors are best applied to
areas that start with about 50 percent
too much light and 4-lamp fluorescent
fixtures. If that sounds like your facility,
remove half of the lamps and add
reflectors to meet your target amount of
light. Ask a lighting professional if they
would be applicable in your facility.
Energy-Savings Potential With
Occupancy Sensors
Application
Energy Savings
Offices (private)
Offices (open spaces)
Restrooms
Corridors
Storage areas
Meeting rooms
Conference rooms
Warehouses
25-50%
20-25%
30-75%
30-40%
45-65%
45-65%
45-65%
50-75%
Note: Figures listed represent maximum energy-savings potential under
optimum circumstances. Figures are based on manufacturer estimates.
Actual savings may vary.
Sources: CEC/DOE/EPRI
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 45
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Technical Support,
Controls To Turn Lights Off
One easy way to save money and
help your lights last longer is to turn
them off when they are not needed.
Occupancy sensors use ultrasonic or
infrared sensors to detect people in a
room. These sensors cost between
$25 and $80 and are an excellent
choice for bathrooms or meeting
rooms that are likely to be unoccu-
pied for large portions of the day. If
desired, these sensors can be pur-
chased with an on-off switch.
Photocells are designed to turn exte-
rior lights on automatically when it
gets dark. Motion sensors are suited
to exterior security lighting, loading
dock areas, and doorways. These
sensors turn lights on automatically
when movement is detected. Auto-
matic dimming systems that adjust
lamp output based on measured
sunlight also are available.
Summary
Your lighting needs may be suited to
other technologies involving advanced
controls or alternative lighting equip-
ment. Many fixtures simply can have
some of the lamps removed with
installation of reflectors. You may have
exterior lighting suited to installation of
low-pressure sodium fixtures, which
are efficient types of lighting used
when lighting quality is not important
at all. You can find out about these
and other technologies by calling the
toll-free ENERGY STAR hotline at 1-888-
STAR-YES.
Take The First Step Toward
Implementation
The following steps will help you decide
whether you should proceed further
with your lighting upgrade project.
1. Do a simple lighting assessment or
investigate and analyze other oppor-
tunities. Call 1-888-STAR-YES for
more information. Then, calculate
simple payback for the project.
(Refer to the box below.)
2. Call your local contractor or one of
EPA's ENERGY STAR product and ser-
vice providers if your simple pay-
back is 5 years or less. Remember,
you won't save a dime until the new
hardware is installed. Every day you
wait, you lose money that can never
be recovered.
Where Can I Learn More?
For more information on EPA's ENERGY
STAR for congregations, lighting tech-
nologies, and lighting contractors, call
1-888-STAR-YES and ask for technical
information on the equipment you are
considering replacing.
How To Calculate Simple Payback
The Short Version
Simple Payback = Measure cost X 1,000 - [(watts before - watts after) X hours/year X energy cost]
Example:
Payback =$400 X 1,000 - [(SOOw before - lOOwafter) X 6,000 hrs./yr use X $0.08/kWh] = 2.1 years
46 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Success Story
Energy For The Kids At Sligo Adventist School
When Kenneth Gair, plant manager for the Sligo
Adventist School, talks about his Involvement
with ENERGY STAR, his face lights up. He has
good reasons to smile—his facility received an
ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award in 1995
for the work done to upgrade the lighting
system in the school. Maybe his best reason to
smile is that all the wasted energy that went
into inefficient lighting systems now helps to
power the school's new computer lab!
The lighting system at Sligo was more than
30 years old and very inefficient. Gair decided
to upgrade the system by starting with the
areas that would give him the quickest pay-
back. He started with the hallways by replacing
incandescent lamps with T-8 lamps and elec-
tronic ballasts. This upgrade improved light
levels and certainly caught everyone's atten-
tion. People were very happy with their new
working environment. He then moved on to
the cafeteria and the gym. Both areas were lit
with 300-watt incandescent lamps, which he
replaced with metal halides. In the gym, for
example, he replaced 36, 300-watt incandes-
cent lamps with 10, 400-watt metal halides.
Gair also upgraded outside lighting to high-
pressure sodium fixtures.
Classroom lighting was upgraded to T-8 lamps,
and electronic ballasts and sensors were added
to each room. The hardest part about installing
the sensors, Gair says, was fine-tuning the
sensitivity and the delay time of the sensor. At
first he got a few complaints from teachers and
students because the lights would typically go
off in the afternoon when teachers were alone
in their rooms. Gair was able to establish the
right delay time to have the classrooms lit
when needed and to ensure that the lights
would be off only at appropriate times.
Technical information for carrying out the
upgrades came mostly from EPA's ENERGY STAR
program. Gair received a video explaining the
significance of sensors and how to choose the
right one for his application. He used passive
infrared sensors in the classrooms and ultrasonic
sensors for the restrooms.
Gair used several innovative ways to fund his
upgrades. He gained the support of the school's
parent-teacher council and used the money he
received to finance his first project. Then, he
applied for rebates at his local utility. The money
from the rebate was then funneled back to the
next project, and so on. Gair was able to do most
of the work himself. He managed to get extra
labor at an affordable price by hiring students
from a neighboring high school.
Now that Gair has completed the lighting sta;
of the program (Stage One), he is looking into
window replacement (Stage Three) and heating
and cooling system upgrades (Stages Four and
Five). Although these will be more expensive
upgrades, the success of his early project will help
Gair show that energy efficiency really does pay.
When we asked about his next project, he happily
rnarched us to the schoolyard to show us an all-
recycled playground!
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 47
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Technical Support
Building Tune-Up
All cars should get a tune-up and
an oil change every few thou-
sand miles to keep them running
smoothly and help them last
longer. When was the last time you
gave your building and equipment a
tune-up? You'll get the same kind of
savings from a building tune-up as you
would from an automobile tune-up)—
modest savings at a low cost—and an
opportunity to extend the life of your
investment. Every once in a while you
may even get a boost in horsepower.
Check Your Timers And Thermostats.
Have you adjusted them for daylight saving
time? What about the last time there was a
power outage? Did your weekly calendar
compensate for last February 29? Does the
temperature seem right' Most mechanical
timers won't correct for power outages.
Resetting them will improve comfort and
save you some money. Ask your heating
contractor to recalibrate your thermostat
on the next visit.
Check Your Filters. Unless the filters are
inaccessible, you don't need to call your
heating and cooling contractor out for an
expensive visit just to make sure you
have clean filters. Check them yourself
every month or two. Each dirty filter you
replace will make your air cleaner, work
your fan less, and keep the inside of the
system cleaner so that it operates more
Replacing filters regularly is an easy way to
get high air quality, low energy use, and long
life for your heating and cooling equipment.
efficiently. Although a new filter might
cost only $2, each dirty filter can cost you
$5 a month in extra energy consumption
and can decrease the life of your system.
Check Your Bills. Do you know how
much your energy bill is now com-
pared with a year ago? Once or twice a
year, take time to compare your bills.
You might want to compare them with
neighboring congregations' bills as well.
Putting Energy (nto Stewardship 49
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Success Story
Homeless Shelter Becomes Energy-Efficient Haven
K
DOORSTEP
"a way in...a way out*
The Doorstep
Homeless Shelter
in Highland Park,
MJ, provides hous-
ing and food for those down on their luck in the
Detroit area The shelter also provides medical
treatment, food, and housing for the mentally ill.
With such a dear mission to serve the community,
the Doorstep Shelter is a haven where residents
find refuge and help. Judy Bugaiski, controller
of the shelter, explained, "As our logo suggests,
we provide a way in and a way out But in these
times of economic hardships, nonprofit organiza-
tions must look into all operational expenses to
save money without sacrificing the valuable ser-
vices they provide to people in crisis " Shelters
like Bugaiski's rely heavily on donations Without
a reliable source of funding, these shelters need
to be as cautious as possible with their operating
budgets
Bugaiski first learned about potential energy savings
for the shelter when she was contacted by Tom
Cleaver of Environmental Contract Services (ECS),
an energy savings performance contracting com-
pany and a member of ENERGY STAR An energy sur-
vey by ECS identified several low-nsk, high-return,
energy-efficient upgrades Bugaiski soon realized
that the upgrades were a wise investment that
would generate substantial returns in lower en-
ergy bills Because the shelter provides housing,
Bugaiski knew that improving the lighting and
heating systems, two of the largest energy users
in the facility, would reduce operating costs (es-
pecially during the coldest winter months)
Creating A Radiant Refuge
Bugaiski hired ECS to perform the upgrades that
had been recommended in the energy survey.
ECS replaced incandescent bulbs, T-12 lamps,
and magnetic ballasts with compact fluoiescenl
lamps, T-8 lamps, and electronic ballasts Bugaiski
explained, "The new lighting system provided
brighter bght. Management, technical staff, and
residents alike have commented favorably to the
change. It is nice to know that technology can
provide a bit of relief to those in need " The cost
to upgrade the lighting system was $7,500, but
the shelter will save $5,073 per year
Warm Hearts Provide A Warm Place
Providing a helping hand, an ear to listen, and a
warm heart is what the staff at the Doorstep Shel-
ter have been trained to do But they also want to
provide a warm place for the homeless to stay By
replacing an old, low-efficiency boiler with a new,
high-efficiency one, and by cleaning radiator traps
in the rooms, Bugaiski and her staff provided resi-
dents with a warm, comfortable place to stay while
reducing the shelter's heating costs. The new boiler
cost $25,100, but it saves Bugaiski $11,200 per
year in heating costs
Helping Hands Come To The Rescue
Heavily dependent on donations, shelteis such as
Bugaiski's must, by necessity, have tight operating
budgets Finding the financial resources for the
upgrades was tough, Bugaiski said. Since she was
committed to the idea of upgrading the lights and
heating system, Bugaiski organized two fundraising
activities—a Christmas donation fund and a ben-
efit choir event The money from the donations
and ticket sales went straight to the energy up-
grade budget. Once the word spread, Bugaiski
received additional private donations
"What's great about energy-efficient upgrades,"
Bugaiski explained, "is (hat they don't have to be
done all at once Each phase of the upgrade can
be staged according to the available budget and
immediate needs " Initial upgrade costs often can
be recovered in just a few years, so the incentive
to install energy-efficient equipment is great. As
Bugaiski learned, energy-efficient upgrades can
increase the comfort level for residents while cut-
ting energy costs—and that frees up money to
help the homeless in other ways.
Bugaiski looks forward to continuing othei energy-
efficiency upgrades that the shelter desperately
needs, but for that, she says she must wait for more
hearts to open up and donate to those in need
50 Putting Energy 'nto Stewardship
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Technical Support
Office Equipment
There are a lot of mysterious things
about computers, but energy use
isn't one of them. The computer
that sits on your desk may look
innocent enough, but it silently con-
sumes $40 per year in electricity. Al-
though $40 isn't enough money for you
to justify throwing out your old com-
puter and buying a new, efficient one
(there are plenty of other reasons for
you to do this), it is enough money that
you should consider energy use when
the time comes to shop for a new
computer.
Office equipment is the fastest grow-
ing electrical load in nonresidential
facilities. Unfortunately, computers, fax
machines, printers, and copiers waste
energy when they remain on and idle.
To reduce this waste of energy and the
pollution associated with it, manufac-
turers of just about every major brand
of office equipment have partnered
with EPA to introduce ENERGY STAR
labeled machines that will automati-
cally power down when not in use.
The chart on this page shows the
typical savings you can achieve if you
buy ENERGY STAR labeled office equip-
ment instead of inefficient equivalents.
It does add up. What would happen to
your mission budget if you could cut
all of your facility operation costs by
50 percent?
In addition to its direct energy con-
sumption, office equipment gives off
heat. Your air-conditioning unit must
work harder to remove this unwanted
heat Introducing energy-efficient office
equipment provides the added benefit
of lowering utility bills due to reduced
air-conditioning loads. This is Stage
Three of the ENERGY STAR program.
Even better, you don't have to spend
anything extra to get this savings. You
don't have to sacrifice any performance,
and payback time is 0.0 years. Your
choices remain virtually the same as be-
fore because so many major manufac-
turers have chosen to join ENERGY STAR.
Just specify ENERGY STAR labeled products
or look for the logo on display models.
EPA offers a number of informational
fact sheets and brochures on ENERGY
STAR labeled office equipment and main-
tains a regularly updated, detailed list
of qualified products. For more infor-
mation, call the ENERGY STAR hotline at
1-888-STAR-YES or visit the Web site at
www.energystar.gov (click on "prod-
ucts" to locate office equipment).
Begin Saving Today
Teach your congregation's equipment
users to modify their behavior to in-
clude turning off computers, printers,
and copiers at night, over the week-
end, and at other times when the
equipment is not being used. If you
have multiple computers, consider
Energy-efficient office
equipment may lower
utility bills due to reduced
air-conditioning loads.
Typical Savings If You Buy ENERGY STAR labeled
Office Equipment
Office Equipment
Computer
Fax machine
Printer
Copier (medium)
Copier (large)
Annual ENERGY STAR
Labeled Office Equipment
Cost Savings
$19
$13
$39
$57
$130
Percentage Of
Total Operating
Cost
49%
52%
65%
57%
58%
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 51
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Technical Support
Use our online calculators
at www.epa.govl
congregations
networking your computers to share
printers so that fewer printers remain
idle during the day.
Your computer may already have
energy saver software installed; if so,
make sure that it is enabled.
What You Will Save
Energy Cost Savings Per Year
Savings At Different Electric
(kWh/yr) Rates ($/kWh)
$0.06 $0.08 $0.10
Percent
Savings
Turn 24-hour equipment off at night so it runs only 9 hours
per day.
Savings per computer 675 $41 $54 $68 61%
Savings per large copier 1,688 $101 $135 $169 49%
Save Later
Replace older 24-hour equipment with new ENERGY STAR
labeled equipment that is used 9 hours per day.
Savings per computer 795 $48 $64 $80
Savings per large copier 1,980 $119 $158 $198
72%
58%
How Does It Work?
The following facts on ENERGY STAR
labeled office equipment will help you
to be a better shopper and decision-
maker when buying and operating
new equipment.
Computers. ENERGY STAR labeled com-
puters automatically power down to 30
watts or less when not in use and are
available from almost every manufac-
turer. To optimize your ENERGY STAR
labeled computer, make sure that the
power management feature is enabled
and that you have set it to the shortest
acceptable time for your operation.
Laptops use less energy than desktops.
Monitors. These are among the big-
gest savers. When not in use, ENERGY
STAR labeled monitors automatically
power down to 30 watts or less. If you
are going to implement a screen saver,
make sure you select one that is com-
patible with the monitor's power ma-
nagement feature. Most screen savers
actually prevent the monitor from go-
ing into sleep mode. Furthermore,
turning monitors off at night and dur-
ing the weekend is a practice that will
provide you with dual benefits. It not
Make the Right Call. This 20-computer telemar-
keting center uses a lot of energy for computers and
cooling. ENERGY STAR labeled computers would cut the
center's annual electric bills by about $500.
52 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
only reduces energy costs, but in fact,
extends the life of the units by preserv-
ing the same phosphorus substance
that screen savers were designed to
save. Finally, when buying a new
monitor, consider the size of the unit
as part of your purchasing criteria.
Large monitors use more energy, so
buy the smallest monitor that suits
your operation.
Printers. ENERGY STAR labeled printers
that go into sleep mode when not in
use save you energy and money.
ENERGY STAR labeled printers that have
double-sided printing capabilities also
reduce your paper costs. Networking
one printer for several users is one of
the best strategies you can implement
to reduce energy consumption and
save your congregation money. Not
only will you benefit from reducing
your energy costs, but you also will
lower your capital expenditures by
purchasing fewer printers.
Facsimile Machines. Because fax
machines remain on 24 hours a day,
they hold huge energy savings poten-
tial—up to 50 percent. ENERGY STAR
labeled fax machines save energy in
two ways. They go into sleep mode
after being idle for a set period of
time, and they scan double-sided
pages. You will not miss any faxes if
the fax machine goes into sleep mode.
Copiers. ENERGY STAR labeled copiers
are equipped with a feature that allows
them to automatically turn off after a
period of inactivity, which reduces
their annual electricity costs by more
than 60 percent. There are also several
strategies that you can implement
regardless of the type of copier you
operate. You can purchase a correctly
sized copier, use the 1- to 2-sided copy
option to ensure that the duplexing
feature is being used, and run copies
in batches to decrease the time your
copier spends in the high-powered
mode.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 53
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Teehnieal Support,
Success Story
North Oxnard United Methodist Church
Leading By Example
North Oxnard United Methodist Church (NOUMC) is a
small but active congregation located in a coastal area of
California noted For cool summer breezes and mild win-
ters The church provides various ministries including a
Hill-lime preschool, United Methodist Women, a youth
group, and a Bible study NOUMC also offers use of its
facilities to a local Orthodox Presbyterian congregation
These facilities consist of a multi-use building built in
the 1960s that houses a sanctuary, a fellowship area, a
kitchen, classrooms, an office, and storage areas
While seeking a solution to ongoing financial concerns,
one member recognixed an opportunity to both save
money and help the environment by finding out about
implementing energy-efficiency strategies The idea grew
from making several minor changes into performing a
detailed energy audit that identified the most cost-effective
options for upgrading and repairing facilities (An energy
audit is a fundamental tool in any energy-efficiency plan.)
In NOUMCs case, the audit revealed opportunities to im-
prove lighting, healing, and plumbing systems It served
as a guide to implementing energy-efficiency and conser-
vation measures in order of effectiveness as funds became
available. In addition, the audit allowed the congregation
to skip projects not justified by the benefits
Money Doesn't Grow On Trees
It's sometimes very hard to find the money for an energy
upgrade—even when you know it is the right thing to
do—if there are other pressing needs. NOUMC overcame
the problem initially by relying on targeted donations to
fund enough of the work to convince decision makers of
the benefits Some of the savings from the early projects
went to fund additional upgrades, thus yielding even
greater environmental and economic benefits This ap-
proach virtually eliminated any short-term impact on the
congregation's budget Savings were almoM immediate
NOUMC has been implementing beneficial energy-
efficiency upgrades since September 1997 and plans
to continue
Light My Way
Due to the mild climate, lighting enhancements became
the major focus of the energy-efficiency strategy. Re-
placing inefficient incandescent lights with new fluores-
cent technologies is one of the best ways to move out
of the costly and polluting darkness and into the low-
cost and sustainable light1 NOUMC began its lighting
initiative by replacing 18 90-wali incandescent reflector-
type lamps with 18 22-watt compact fluorescent lamps
(CFLs). When light output was reduced, the congrega-
tion slightly modified the fixtures to improve light dis-
tribution and enhance visual comfort
The lighting upgrade also involved replacing various
other incandescent lights with extremely efficient mod-
ular CFLs, plus an important conservation project that
replaced 30 40-watt T-12 tubes with similar 25-watt
fluorescent tubes In addition to saving money, this
approach also reduced the time spent replacing burned-
out incandescent bulbs
Saving Water Makes Sense
Water conservation not only protects one of our nation's
most precious resources, it also has a surprisingly ben-
eficial impact on energy conservation Using less water
means less water pumped and less water heated, ulti-
mately leading to less electricity purchased from ineffi-
cient power plants!
NOUMC set out to fix leaky faucets, replace a leaky old
7-gallon-pcr-flush toilet with a new, efficient 1 6-gallon-
per-flush unit, and closely monitor leaks
Parting With An Old Friend
In many cases, cranky old refrigerators arc massive con-
sumers of clectncity In many religious facilities, old
refrigerators often become more like valued old friends
than appliances Their leaky old seals, inefficient com-
pressors, and poor insulation do am up electricity and
maintenance bills You know you should let go, but you
just can't say goodbye I lowever, NOUMC did manage
to replace two old inefficient refrigerators with much
newer and more efficient models
Encouraging Others
NOUMC's ongoing water and energy-efficiency program
has provided positive recognition for the congregation
within the California-Pacific Conference of the United
Methodist Church, which has allowed NOUMC to take
a leadership role in encouraging other churches to do
utility audits and upgrades
In addition, the savings from the program have allowed
the congregation to move forward with important new
nurturing, outreach, and witness programs.
NOUMC already saves $2,600 annually on energy bills
54 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Paper
Emay not think of your paper
: as an area with potential
ergy savings, but it is. Paper
>ducers in this country buy
more than $3.5 billion worth of energy
each year. In fact, every $5 ream of
paper you avoid using eliminates
about $0.34 worth of energy produc-
tion and related emissions by a paper
mill—not to mention the energy spent
to harvest and ship the trees and to
ship the paper to your desk. In this
section, we review simple steps to
optimize your use of this valuable
resource. You will save money, reduce
waste, and protect our nation's forests
so they can be enjoyed by generations
to come.
Double-Sided Copying
Copiers often have the capability to
automatically copy on both sides of a
piece of paper. Selecting two-sided
copying for long documents, articles,
or drafts can instantly reduce your
paper use without adding any associ-
ated inconvenience. For more informa-
tion, see the text box at right.
Recycled Paper
Many paper products contain some
recycled content. Recycling allows
fibers to be reused in the production
cycle so that fewer trees are required
to provide the same amount of paper.
Cardboard and newspnnt may contain
as much as 75-percent recycled con-
tent, while standard copy paper often
has less than 5-percent recycled con-
tent. Selecting papers with high re-
cycled content can be the simplest
way you can help preserve our forests.
Recycled papers and other products
are rated by their "post-consumer
content" and "total recycled content."
These percentages are usually in very
small print on the paper packages.
Post-consumer content is the more
important factor and refers to fibers
that have been used and then col-
lected through recycling programs.
Total recycled content refers to the
total nonvirgin content of the paper,
including production scraps and post-
consumer fibers. Paper does not have
to be conspicuously labeled "environ-
mentally friendly" to have a high
recycled content, so a little research
can identify some real bargains.
Paper can have a high
recycled content even if
it is not conspicuously
labeled "environmentally
friendly."
Double-Sided Copying Makes Great
Stewardship Sense Because It:
• Reduces the amount and cost of paper used
• Lowers mailing costs because the paper amount and weight
are reduced
• Reduces paper output, which takes up less storage space
in offices
• Appears more professional
• Reduces the environmental impacts of paper throughout the
production process; therefore, fewer trees are harvested, there
are lower chemical and energy inputs during pulping, and transpor-
tation and storage costs are reduced
• Shows a congregation's commitment to environmental protection
Andrew Duncan, Greening of the Campus Conference Proceedings. Ball State
University, Indiana. 1996.
Putting Energy into Stewardship 55
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Technical Support
Conserving paper is an important step in saving energy, lowering pollution, and
ensuring the long-term health of our forests.
Energy For Paper Production And Use
3
o
a
Production
Printing
Using
Laser
Printer
Printing
Using
Ink-Jet
Printer
Recycling
Many municipalities sponsor programs
to collect paper and fiber products
such as corrugated cardboard; paper-
board (cereal boxes); white, colored,
or glossy paper; newsprint; and books
bound with glue. Collecting and re-
turning your used paper to a recycling
center will return that fiber for reuse
and may reduce your waste disposal
costs. Large users of one or more of
these products can set up their own
collection program with a local salvage
company. They are paid by the ton for
the materials that they collect and they
save from reduced disposal costs.
Consider including a statement on
printed materials such as "Printed on
50-percent recycled paper containing
20-percent post-consumer waste" to
highlight your congregation's commit-
ment to the environment.
Reduce Your Paper Use
There also are other ways that organi-
zations can reduce their paper use and
streamline their operations. Announce-
ments routinely issued to all members
can simply be posted on area bulletin
boards. Instead of making a copy for
each person, you can circulate many
documents by using a routing tag
containing the names of relevant
people. An employee/volunteer checks
off his or her name and passes the
material to the next person on the list.
Many congregations have revolution-
ized their operations through e-mail
and local area networks (LANs). In
addition to greatly improving internal
communication and facilitating team
projects, these tools can significantly
reduce paper use by replacing memos,
event calendars, forms, and draft
documents.
56 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Water Heaters And
Water Use
Most congregations use hot
water, even if only for hand
washing. Some congregations
have kitchen facilities and
some operate homeless shelters, day
care or elder care facilities, schools,
and other facilities that use hot water
for purposes such as dishwashing,
showers, and laundry. Hot water can
represent 25 percent or more of your
total energy bill. Fortunately, there are
many low-cost, easy-to-apply methods
for reducing your congregation's hot
water costs.
Water Heaters
Turn Off Your Water Heater When
It's Not Needed. Although this may
seem obvious, it really is a great idea.
Buy a 7-day timer (you can get one for
about $30) to turn off your electric
water heater at night and on days it is
not needed and to turn it back on one
hour before your operation starts up in
the morning. If you have a big water
heater, you can get even more aggres-
sive and turn it off an hour or two
before people leave. The already heated
water should be sufficient to "coast"
through further use. You'll save any-
where from $10 to $50 per year with a
water heater timer. Along the same
lines, consider shutting off a dedicated
water heater that is rarely used and
turning it on only when needed.
If you use a circulating pump, be sure
that it is shut off when the facility is
unoccupied. Again, a timer will help
you remember. Circulating pumps
increase heat loss through pipes that
circulate hot water. A one-eighth
horsepower pump that is turned off
for 2,000 hours per year will save you
$25 in pump energy alone.
Lower The Thermostat Setting. The
hotter the water temperature, the faster
you lose energy through the pipes and
water heater tank walls. Therefore,
lower the thermostat to provide hot
water at the lowest acceptable tempera-
ture. Some tasks (such as doing laundry
or washing dishes) and some buildings
(such as health care facilities) require
higher water temperatures than others.
These temperatures may be set by state
and local codes. However, a small
office with an electric water heater that
is used only for handwashing purposes
would save about $10 per year if the
setting is changed from 130 degrees to
120 degrees. See the chart on page 58
for some recommended hot water
temperatures.
If one task, such as laundry, requires
significantly higher temperatures than
other tasks, it may be more efficient to
reconfigure your piping to include a
blending valve. The hottest water
would be piped directly from the
heater to the high-temperature task;
the water for the remaining tasks
would branch off and pass through a
blending valve, which mixes in cold
water to reduce the water temperature
Summary
To optimize energy use of /our water heater:
• Minimize hot water waste
• Provide hot water at the lowest temperature
acceptable for the task
• Insulate the tank and pipes
• Obtain hot water from the most efficient sources
• Perform periodic maintenance procedures
The Top Water Bum
Resource Center recom-
mends / IO°F and below
as a safe temperature
for typical hot water use
(www.tap-water-burn.com).
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 57
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Technical Support
Typical Recommended Hot Water Temperatures
Process
Temperature
(Degrees Fahrenheit)
Hand Washing 105
Showers 110
Laundry* 160
Dishwasher Rinse** 180-195
*Check code requirements.
**Many dishwashers have booster heaters. Check with the manufacturer to determine
minimum temperature requirements.
Source: ASHRAE.
Before you buy a new
water beater, consult the
EnergyGu/de label so that
you select an efficient
model.
for the other tasks. Alternatively, you
may wish to install separate heaters for
high-temperature and low-temperature
tasks or to provide booster heaters for
high-temperature tasks. Some machines
provide their own booster-heating
mechanisms.
Insulate Your Tank. To reduce heat
losses in your hot water system, make
sure that your hot water storage tank
and the hot water pipes connected to it
are insulated. Nowadays, few hot
water tanks are totally uninsulated
Move Your Water Heater. If you are
remodeling, take the opportunity to
relocate your water heater as close as
possible to the main point of water
consumption. This will reduce heat
loss from the pipes.
Buy A New Water Heater. If you buy
a new water heater, be sure to consult
the EnergyGuide label on the appli-
ance so that you select an efficient
model. Consider using a heat pump
water heater, particularly in situations
where the simultaneous cooling it will
provide would be useful. A relatively
new and more efficient technology,
heat pump water heaters remove heat
from the surrounding air and transfer it
to the water. Because these water
heaters also cool and dehumidify the
surrounding air, they are particularly
beneficial in warm, humid areas such
as kitchens and laundry rooms.
Another excellent alternative is tank-
less, instantaneous, on-demand water
heaters, which are quite popular in
Europe. They are growing in popular-
ity here, too, especially in areas where
relatively small amounts of hot water
are used on occasion. Tankless water
heaters eliminate tank and piping
losses and are great for buildings that
have only sinks. They typically supply
up to two gallons per minute of hot
water, about the same as required for
a shower and more than enough for
most sinks. One catch is that they may
require heavier wiring, so check with
your contractor before making a
decision. For information on whether
instantaneous water heaters are right
for your facility, please call 1-888-
STAR-YES.
Or don't buy a new water heater.
Consider turning your standard water
off except for emergencies and using
"free" waste heat recovery to meet
some of your water heating needs.
Waste heat sources include laundry or
dishwashing rinse water, steam conden-
sate lines, and refrigeration equipment.
Maintenance
To maximize savings and keep your
hot water system operating efficiently,
you should perform periodic mainte-
nance procedures as prescribed by the
owners' manual. Storage-type water
heater tanks should be flushed out
annually to remove sediments that
reduce system efficiency. (Flushing
involves opening the drain valve at the
bottom of the tank and drawing off
water until the water runs clear Follow
your manufacturer's instructions In
areas with high mineral content in the
58 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
water, you may need to do this more
often.) The burners of gas or oil-fired
water heaters should be tested and
adjusted annually to make sure that
the fuel is being burned as efficiently
as possible. In addition, it is a good
practice to periodically flush your
fixtures with very hot water to control
bacteria growth.
Solar Water Heating
You really can't do any better than
solar power for energy savings and for
the environment. Solar water heaters
are simple devices that capture the
sun's energy to heat water for ordinary
use. They often are piped directly into
systems with conventional water
heaters, lowering your energy costs
while still providing hot water on
overcast days. Solar water heaters are
extremely cost-effective for heating
swimming pools, where other types of
heating can be very expensive.
Solar water heating is an established
technology used throughout the world.
In California, solar systems are the
only type of pool water heating al-
lowed by many local codes. Even the
pool built for the Atlanta Olympics is
heated with a solar system, although
this was a unique, showcase system.
While you may think of the large
number of units in sunny areas like
Florida or California, you may be
surprised that even in the rainy areas
of the Pacific Northwest, solar water
heaters can pay for themselves in less
than 10 years. Check with your local
utility or your state energy office to
find out about incentives that apply to
the installation of solar energy systems.
You can get more information, locate
a solar installer, or find a supplier for a
do-it-yourself system by contacting the
American Solar Energy Society at (303)
443-3130 (Web site: www.ases.org).
For additional information on solar
initiatives, see www.solarstewards.org.
Water Use
You may wonder why an energy manual
is discussing water use. Certainly within
your own facility it costs money to heat
the water. But your water company also
spends a lot of money on energy to
pump and purify the water it delivers to
you. So a portion of your water bill is
actually an energy bill. The same logic
holds true for sewage treatment. If your
congregation uses large amounts of
water, you will benefit even more from
water use optimization.
Like everything else, savings from
water measures can vary. You can save
on the cost of the water, you can save
on sewage, and you can also save on
energy costs for pumping or heating
processes. Because savings come from
so many sources, water reduction
upgrades are frequently profitable.
Efficient showerheads and faucet
aerators are inexpensive devices (they
generally cost between $2 and $20)
that screw into existing pipe fittings
to help reduce water consumption.
These devices reduce the amount of
water wasted in common daily tasks.
If your congregational facilities in-
clude hot water sinks and showers,
you can use these devices to signifi-
cantly reduce your water heating bills
as well as your water bills.
Solar water heaters use
the sun's energy to heat
water and can help you
lower your energy costs.
Installing an aerator on a faucet takes just 10 minutes and costs less
than $ 10. Aerators help prevent water waste and save water heating
costs, even though the flow from the faucet appears to be the same.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 59
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Technical Support,
Success Story
Water Heater Tune-Up
Consider the case of a manager of a 2,000-sq ft congregation build-
ing who discovered a leak in the pipes from a 40-gallon electric
water healer. While repairing the leak, she decided to install an in-
sulated blanket wrap around the water heater to prevent additional
heat loss The cost of the installation, the insulation, and the repair
was approximately $40. By selling the water heater thermostat to a
setpoint of 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the office manager saved $35
per year and had.a one-year payback That extra $35 goes back
into the congregation's funds year after year
Repairing a seal that leaks
a drop of water every five
seconds can save money
and hundreds of gallons of
water per year—and if it's
a hot water leak, you can
save even more money!
By repairing a seal that leaks a drop of
electrically heated hot water every five
seconds, you can save about 400 gal-
lons of water, 59 kWh of electricity,
87 pounds of carbon dioxide, and
$7 per year (at 8
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Technical Support
Water from sinks or washing machines
that may contain soap but is otherwise
still dean is called "gray water." Many
drought-prone areas of the country
have encouraged use of this gray
water for landscaping purposes. St.
Petersburg, FL, has even installed a
citywide system that provides re-
claimed water for 7,000 homes and
businesses. Other cities do not permit
reuse of gray water at all because of
water quality concerns. For more
information on promotional programs
or restrictions on gray water use, call
your local building permits office or
check out the EPA Web site at
www.epa.gov.
Where Can I Learn More?
If you want more information on smart
water heating, the Gas Appliance
Manufacturers Association (GAMA)
publishes a Consumers' Directory of
Certified Efficiency Ratings for electric,
gas, and propane water heaters (www.
gamanet.org).
We also recommend:
• U.S. Department of Energy (for
information about hot water heaters):
www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/
factsheet.html
• Indoor Water Efficiency Spread-
sheet (contains information on
calculating energy savings)- http://
solstice.crest.org/environment/
gotwh/general/indoor-water/
index.html
• Iowa Energy Center (for informa-
tion about buying, installing, and
upgrading hot water systems):
www.energy.iastate.edu/efficiency/
residential/homeseries/waterheaters/
index.htm
• WaterWiser, The Water Effi-
ciency Clearinghouse (for infor-
mation on water efficiency and
conservation): 1-800-559-9855;
www.waterwiser.org
Puffing Energy Into Stewardship 61
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Technical Support
Refrigeration
Refrigeration equipment is one
of the highest energy users in
your kitchen. Upgrades that
reduce your refrigeration costs
can make your congregation's kitchen
more efficient. One of the most excit-
ing aspects of refrigeration is that
there have been so many great devel-
opments over the past 25 years to
make systems more efficient. The
downside of all these innovations is
that you may have a hard time keep-
ing up with them. So look for help.
A new residential-size refrigerator with
the ENERGY STAR logo is guaranteed to
use 30 percent less energy than federal
government standards require.
If your equipment is more than 10
years old, call a local refrigeration case
supplier and request a checkup. You'll
be surprised at all the possibilities. A
typical new residential refrigerator uses
about 800 kWh and costs about $64
per year to run. This is less than half
what you'd pay to run the same size
unit that is 20 years old
No-Cost Action Items
For The Refrigeration
Amateur
Keep The Doors Shut Repeated
fluctuations in temperature will dam-
age your food quality and cost you
money.
Check The Temperature Settings. If
your settings are lower than necessary,
chances are you are wasting energy.
The most common recommended
settings are between -14 degrees and
-8 degrees Fahrenheit for freezers and
between 35 degrees and 38 degrees
Fahrenheit for refrigerators.
Load Your Refrigerator Properly.
Overloaded units disrupt air flow pat-
terns needed to cool efficiently, and
deterioration occurs. On the other hand,
underloaded units waste energy. If you
have several partially filled units, con-
solidate them and turn one or more off.
Position Refrigeration Units Prop-
erly. Don't put your refrigerator right
next to your stove or in direct sunlight.
Your refrigerator will have to work
harder to maintain the desired cool
temperature. Make sure that there is
enough ventilation available for your
refrigerator's mechanical equipment. A
1-inch gap on the sides and a 4-inch
gap at the back are recommended to
allow the condenser and fan to have
access to a steady flow of air.
Clean The Cooling Coils. Din accu-
mulation impairs proper heat transfer
and lowers the efficiency and capacity
of refrigerators.
Check The Door Seals. Tight seals
and properly closing doors prevent
warm air from entering the unit, which
reduces cooling energy and prevents
frost buildup. Use this rule of thumb: If
you can easily slide a dollar bill into
the seal, have the seal adjusted.
Performing each of the above activities
can save you between $5 and $25 per
year. These activities also can improve
your product quality and extend the
unit life. At no cost except a few
minutes of your time, these activities
are a bargain.
A new residential-size
refrigerator with the
ENERGY STAR logo is guaran-
teed to use 30 percent
less energy than required
by federal government
standards.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 63
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Technical Support
Shorten Defrost Cycles. This is
starting to get a bit technical. Fifteen
minutes an hour isn't perfect for every-
one or for every season. If you're in a
dry climate or season, gradually de-
crease your defrost cycle time until
you see hints of frost buildup on the
coils. Back the setting up a bit and you
are optimized. This procedure, like
others, can help extend the unit life.
If you are in the market for a residential-
type refrigerator, look for the ENERGY
STAR logo—your guarantee of savings.
And use the EnergyGuide label to help
you identify its annual operating costs
and if a particular model compares with
other models on the market and their
annual operating costs. Base your pur-
chasing decisions on the price you can
afford to pay and the highest efficiency
available in your range. Calculate the
simple payback for the cost premium
to see how much increased efficiency
you should buy.
Purchase freezers and refrigerators
with Energy Efficiency Ratings (EERs)
ranging from 7-9 for medium tempera-
ture systems and from 5-6 for low-
temperature systems.
A Note About CFCs
The major challenge the refrigeration
industry has faced is the mandated
phaseout of chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs). Until recently, many refrigera-
tors used CFC-based refrigerants. The
foam insulation built into older refrig-
erators also contains CFCs. Because
CFCs deplete the ozone layer and
contribute to global warming, new
refrigerants have been developed to
replace CFCs and are currently avail-
able in new units or as replacements
for CFCs in old units. Call the EPA
Stratospheric Ozone Hotline at 1-800-
296-1996 for information on converting
your existing refrigerators and on
disposal methods.
ENERCTGUI
v
Compare (he Energy Use of this Refrigerator
with Others Before You Buy.
This Model Uses
776kWh/year
T
Energy use (kWh/year) range of all similar mode
Uses Least
Energy
776
Uses Most
Energy
1467
Refrigerators using more energy cost
more to operate.This model's estimated
yearly operating cost is:
Use the EnergyGuide label to select efficient
residential-size refrigerators. (Also available
for other appliances.)
64 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
Building Construction
The phrase "set in stone" is fre-
quently used to describe things
that must be accepted as facts of
life. This may be how you view
your building's construction and the
way it affects your energy bill. Just be-
cause your building is set on a firm
foundation doesn't mean that you can't
make some changes—large or small—
to reduce the impact that your build-
ing's exterior has on your heating and
cooling costs. What's more, most of
the changes you make to reduce your
energy costs also will bring improve-
ments in comfort and your building's
appearance.
Fortunately, there are many small-scale
upgrades that you can make to your
building's envelope (walls, roof, and
windows) to reduce your heating and
cooling costs. Unlike the equipment
inside your facility, simply changing a
wall or a roof just because the original
equipment isn't efficient enough isn't
really a feasible solution. However,
sometimes windows of opportunity
do occur to upgrade your building's
construction at relatively little extra
expense.
For example, roofs need to be replaced
periodically and the additional expense
of adding insulation or reflective cover-
ings at that time can be justified by the
savings they will provide. Similarly,
energy-saving window upgrades may
be worthwhile when your building's
facade is being remodeled to modern-
ize its appearance. When it is time to
replace your heating or cooling system,
you may find that by investing some
money in wall or roof improvements,
you can reduce your building's heating
and cooling needs enough to reduce
the size and cost of the unit you need
to buy. Alternatively, if your current
system can't quite heat or cool enough
on extreme temperature days but is still
new enough that you would rather not
replace it, you can make building
improvements to reduce your heating
and cooling loads enough to allow your
current system to meet your needs.
Most of the upgrades that you can
make to your facility involve reducing
heat losses in winter, reducing heat
gains in summer, and reducing air
leakage throughout the year. The
particular envelope upgrades that
make the most sense for your building
depend on both the climate and the
layout of your facility. A congregation
in Phoenix, AZ, will be more con-
cerned about what the summer sun is
doing to its cooling bill than one in
Caribou, ME.
You can reduce heat losses
in winter, reduce heat
gains in summer, and
reduce air leakage
throughout the year by
upgrading your facility.
Concentrate Efforts Where They Will
Do The Most Good
Focus on roof upgrade
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 65
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Technical Support,
Windows
Windows are one of the most appeal-
ing pans of any building, providing its
"look," and, of course, natural light.
But windows also are an area where a
lot of your heating and cooling costs
can literally "go out the window."
Windows typically have low insulating
levels, as anyone who has sat next to a
large, single-pane window on a cold
winter day can attest. In addition,
windows can allow a lot of unwanted
summer heat gain, especially if they're
located on the west or south side of
the building. In recent years, window
manufacturers have developed low-
emissivity (low-E) windows with
dramatically higher insulating values
and reduced heat gains, but it is un-
likely that these are being used in your
building if it was built before 1990.
Unless you have single-pane windows
and are located in a cold climate, the
savings from replacing your windows
with more efficient ones are hard to
justify financially unless the replace-
ment is done as part of a larger reno-
vation. You can improve the efficiency
of your existing windows, however, by
installing window films.
Window R-Values*
Single Pane
Double Pane
Triple Pane
1.0
2.0
2.9
Decrease R-Values by at least 20 percent if aluminum
frames.
Increase R-Values by about 30 percent if low
emissivity.
* When purchasing new windows, manufacturers often
categorize windows with U-Values (the ability of a
material to conduct heat) or simply the reciprocal of
the R-Value.
Window films are thin coatings that
can be applied to the interior surface
of windows to help block radiant heat
gains and losses. These coatings are
similar to those used in low-E windows
Their primary benefit is in reducing
summer heat gains because they can
prevent from 6l to 80 percent of the
incoming solar radiation from entering
your building. In winter, these coatings
can help reduce heat losses by prevent-
ing 19 to 44 percent of indoor heat
from escaping out the window In ad-
dition to providing energy-cost savings,
window films improve comfort by mo-
derating heat losses and gains, reduc-
ing glare and overheating, increasing
privacy by restricting visibility from the
outside, improving the appearance of
the windows, and reducing the fading
of carpets, furniture, and merchandise.
Window films typically cost between
$1.33 and $3 per square foot to install,
and they generally have a lifetime of
7 to 12 years They must be installed
properly to avoid bubbles, cracks, or
damage to your windows. It is not ad-
visable to use window films to cover
stained-glass windows due to the un-
evenness of their surfaces and the pos-
sibility of trapping moisture between
the window and the film.
Window accessories also affect your
energy costs. White roller shades and
Venetian blinds, when fully drawn, ref-
lect heat. Draperies or curtains, when
made of a tightly woven, opaque mate-
rial in a light, reflective color, can re-
duce heat gain. If a curtain fits tightly
against the window, it also can reduce
winter heat losses Awnings on the
south, east, and west sides of your
66 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
building can reduce summer heat gains;
trees planted on the east and west sides
of the building also can reduce summer
heat gains. The chart below provides
a simple guide to when you should
use your shades, depending on the
season and the time of day. For more
information on windows, see www.
energystar.gov (click on products to
locate windows). Another excellent
source is www.efFicientwindows.org.
Roofs And Walls
Your building's roof generally can be
improved in two ways: by improving
the insulation and by improving its
reflectivity to reduce heat gains. Your
priorities will depend on the type of
building you have and where it is
located. Roofing improvements are
generally better investments for build-
ings that currently have a poorly
insulated roof and in locations with
extreme temperatures in either sum-
mer or winter.
If heating costs are a priority at your
facility, or if you work in a warm
climate and have an attic, roof insula-
tion could be a good investment. If
your congregation has attic space,
insulation may be added at any time to
the attic floor at a relatively low cost
either by blowing in insulation or by
installing batts of insulation on the
attic floor. Depending on the type of
roof you have, insulation may be
Pull Your Shades
DAY
SUMMER
WINTER
Down
Up
Block the sun
Let in the sun
NIGHT
SUMMER
WINTER
Up
Down
Let building
heat out
Keep building
heat in
added on either the inside or the
outside. If you have a flat roof, your
best bet will probably be to wait until
your roof needs replacement and to
install rigid insulation on the roof
exterior when it is being replaced.
How much insulation is enough? Your
state or local building codes usually
require a specified level of insulation,
but keep in mind that this figure is a
minimum required amount. Because
codes have gradually increased the
amount of insulation required, many
old buildings have less than the amount
required by current codes. To get a
better idea of advisable insulation
levels for energy cost savings in your
area, check with your state energy
office or local electric utility. ASHRAE
recommends an R-Value between
25 and 30 for optimum cost effective-
ness. See the chart on page 68 for
some roofing rules of thumb for fre-
quently occupied spaces. For an inter-
mittently occupied space such as a
worship space, minimum insulation as
prescribed by code is sufficient.
If your air conditioner runs significantly
more than your heating system, ask
your roofing contractor about reflective
roof coverings. Covering the roof with a
light-colored stone, coating, or mem-
brane is less expensive than a full roof
replacement. The lighter color will
cause your roof to absorb less heat and
extend the life of the roof by slowing
its deterioration. Another alternative is
a roof spray system, which has mois-
ture sensors that control spraying water
over the roof to keep temperatures
down. Of course, this affects water use
and your water bill, but the tradeoff can
be calculated to help you decide.
If your building has attic space, you
may be able to install a radiant barrier.
A radiant barrier is essentially a layer of
aluminum foil tacked to the underside
of your roof deck with the shiny side
facing down toward the air space in
your attic. It blocks 95 percent of the
Roof insulation could be
o good investment if
heating costs are a prior-
ity at your faci/ity or if
you work in a warm
climate and have an attic.
for more information
on insulation, see www.
ornf.gov/roo/5+wa/fs/
insulation/ins O5.html
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 67
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Technical Support.
Roofing Rules Of Thumb
Existing Condition
Cost Effective To Add Insulation?
New Construction —
Existing Buildings:
Current Insulation Level
0-1 inches
2-4 inches
5-9 inches
More than 9 inches
Yes, always. R-19 to R-38 depending on
location and codes.
Yes, always.
Yes, if attic is accessible or if built-up roof
is being repaired.
No, in moderate climates, just add when
remodeling.
Yes, in extreme climates and where the
attic is accessible.
No.
When unconditioned air
from outside slips into
your building, or condi-
tioned air from inside
seeps out, you have to
pay to heat or cool the
extra, or replacement, air.
heat that otherwise would be radiated
downward from your hot roofdeck. All
of these options result in lowered roof
or attic temperatures, which make your
upper floor a much more comfortable
place during the summer. In one appli-
cation in New Orleans, for example, the
installation of a radiant barrier and attic
vents dropped the attic temperature by
50 degrees. You can imagine the effect
on comfort downstairs. Finally, forced
ventilation in attics can decrease tem-
peratures by 30 degrees or more, for a
big increase in comfort and savings.
Reducing Air Leaks
When unconditioned air from outside
slips into your building, or conditioned
air seeps out, you have to pay to heat
or cool that extra, or replacement, air.
Consequently, it pays to minimize
these leaks, especially because the
methods used to reduce it are gener-
ally inexpensive and easily applied.
Reducing leaks also will improve your
occupants' comfort, because nobody
feels comfortable sitting in a draft.
Use caulk to seal air-leaking cracks and
to install or replace weatherstripping
around doors and operable windows.
Small air gaps may look inconsequen-
tial, but they add up. A V£-inch air gap
along the opening of a pair of 6-foot,
8-inch doors is equivalent to a 10-
square-inch hole in the wall. Replace
the glass in any broken windows as
soon as possible. Make sure all doors
and windows close properly and—an
often forgotten procedure—cover the
exterior portion of any window air
conditioners in the winter.
If You Plan To Remodel
Increasing the insulating value of
existing walls is difficult to justify
from a cost-savings point of view.
However, you may wish to do so if
a cold wall is a significant comfort
problem. If you have frame walls,
you can have insulation blown into
the wall cavities. Otherwise, you can
increase the insulating value by add-
ing a layer of insulation over the
existing interior wall and covering it
with new wallboard. (You will also
need to move any light switches or
electric boxes out.) This solution will
slightly decrease the size of the room.
See the figures on page 69 for varia-
tions of wallboard coverings.
Consider installing a vestibule at your
primary entrance because of the num-
ber of times doors are opened for
religious services, meetings, and other
functions. A vestibule consists of a
space between two sets of doors that
acts as an airlock to reduce the amount
of air that enters or escapes from the
building as people enter or leave. You
may be able to create one by installing
an extra set of doors inside your build-
ing, or you may wish to build it as a
small addition. This area does not need
to be heated or air conditioned. In
addition to reducing energy costs, this
68 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
modification will dramatically increase
the comfort of anyone who sits or
stands near the doors. Studies show
that vestibules can reduce related
infiltration by more than half. Such
a measure likely will not be justifi-
able based solely on energy cost
savings unless it is part of a larger
upgrade, but it is justifiable when
you consider the added comfortable
space it provides.
Your options for reducing your
building's energy costs are limited to
some extent by the choices made
when it was built. Making the decision
to use energy-efficient windows and
appropriate insulation levels is far less
expensive when a building addition is
still on the drawing board. At that
point, the actual cost of each upgrade
should be considered the incremental
cost between the more and less effi-
cient alternatives.
The options that provide the best return
on investment can be identified by
comparing the incremental cost with
the energy cost savings that will accrue
over the building's lifetime. Software
packages are available that can be used
to analyze these choices. If your archi-
tect is unfamiliar with them, you may
wish to hire a consultant to help you
make the optimal choices.
Technical Closeup: R-Values
R-Values measure the effectiveness of insulation.The
higher an object's R-Value, the better it resists heat loss
(or gain). Heat loss through an object is inversely propor-
tional to its R-Value, so you get more bang for your buck
from increasing the R-Value of a building component that
initially has a lower R-Value than you would with a higher
one. Increasing insulation from R-1 to R-20 will save you a
lot more money than increasing from R-20 to R-40. For
example, adding an R-Value of I to a window that currently
has an R-Value of R-1 represents a 50-percent decrease in
heat loss; adding R-1 to an R-15 wall decreases its heat loss
by 6.25 percent.
3/8" built-up roofing •
insulation
2" concrete deck
>4R8MMMMMMh-
« corrugated metal deck
metal ceiling suspension
3M" lath and plaster
air space larger than 3 I IT
R-Value
Without
Insulation
With
Insulation
Drawing I R-5 R-12
Drawing 2 R-4 R-8
Drawing 3 R-5 R-9
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 69
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Technical Support.
Success Story
Getting To The Heart Of The Matter
The Georgetown Gospel Chapel in South Seattle
has a lot to be proud of. Over the past 5 years,
thoughtful energy-efficiency projects have re-
sulted in thousands of dollars of much-needed
savings—savings that help support day-to-day
operations as well as the Chapel's benevolent
missions and community gardens.
Goodbye High Heating Bills
"We hardly have to turn on our heaters any-
more," says Reverend Leroy Hedman, referring
to a successful project that added new windows
and insulation to help seal up the Chapel and
parsonage Correct insulation levels—combined
with energy-efficient windows—was a great way
to keep the cold Seattle weather out and the
money savings in' Now the warmth inside the
Chapel is not only from the happy souls of the
congregation, but also from the conserved heat
that has been saved by their efforts.
Peace And Clarity Through Illumination
The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is proud to
say that it makes every effort not to use incan-
descent "so-called" lighting. (Only 5 percent of
the electricity that is supplied to an incandes-
cent bulb is actually used for lighting—the rest
is wasted energy )
Instead, the Chapel employs the use of con-
trolled compact and tubular fluorescent bulbs
to light up the congregation These fluorescent
technologies provide ideal lighting at a fraction
of the operating costs of the old wasteful
incandescent Now that's a smart move!
Water—A Most Precious Resource
The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is very conscien-
tious about water use in its facilities, which also
saves energy. For that reason, it installed new effi-
cient showerheads, water piping, baths, sprinklers,
and low-gallon-per-flush toilets. The Chapel is also
planning to implement exciting solar technology to
facilitate the parsonage's hot water needs Reverend
Hedman estimates saving 100,000 gallons of water
per year because of these efforts.
Don't Forget Labor and Safety
We must not forget that beyond energy and cost
savings, energy efficiency also provides labor,
safety, and insurance benefits. Energy-efficient
technologies usually last longer than traditional
equipment, which results in fewer change-outs.
The Georgetown Gospel Chapel, like many other
congregations, has lighting fixtures that are very
high and difficult to get at. The less often some-
one in your congregation has to climb a ladder,
the better1
Stewardship Pays
The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is doing its part
to protect natural resources while reducing the
momentum of climate change. The chapel showed
the way by implementing a comprehensive up-
grade including lighting, insulation, heating,
cooling, windows, appliances, and water mea-
sures By establishing a foundation and remaining
dedicated to energy efficiency, the Georgetown
Gospel Chapel will reap the rewards of energy
efficiency for many years to come. Savings each
year are estimated at approximately $3,000 to
$5,000, not to mention the prevention of 60,000
pounds of CO2.
70 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Heating And Cooling
Heating, ventilating, and air-
conditioning (HVAC) systems
account for 39 percent of the
electric energy used in commer-
cial buildings in the United States.
Consequently, almost every congrega-
tion has the potential to realize signifi-
cant savings by improving its control
of HVAC operations and improving the
efficiency of the systems it uses.
Invest In Energy Optimization. It
makes good financial sense for so
many reasons. You'll typically get a
30-percent return or better on your
investment, and ENERGY STAR for con-
gregations will help you find sources
that can provide financing if initial
funding is a problem.
Don't Worry. You don't have to
become an energy expert or spend a
lot of time working on new projects to
get all these benefits. Because you're a
congregations partner, we'll help you
find reliable energy analysts and con-
tractors so you can turn your attention
back to your congregational work.
When you do need technical support
to be a smarter shopper, we're here
with the information you want. Call us
at 1-888-STAR-YES or visit our Web site
at www.epa gov/congregations.
What's left to decide? Call an expert
and get started!
1970s-Style Conservation:
It Still Works
The most straightforward method for
saving on your HVAC bill is simply to
operate the systems less by turning the
systems off or back when the building
is not occupied; by using natural venti-
lation, ceiling fans, or economizers
whenever possible; and by choosing
more efficient temperature setpoints so
the systems run less often.
A week contains 168 hours. Even if
you have some facilities that operate
during 40 or even 80 of those hours,
you still occupy your facility during
only a fraction of the week. Conse-
quently, savings are available by
setting back your thermostat when the
building is unoccupied. The term
"setting back" is used to indicate both
changing the temperature setting
(setting back to a lower temperature in
winter and setting up to a higher one
in summer) and making sure that the
fan switch on the thermostat is set to
"auto" rather than "on." A fan left in
the "on" mode runs nonstop 24 hours
per day; in "auto" mode, the fan cycles
on only when heating or cooling is
being supplied. In some instances the
fan savings can be significant even
when only minimal temperature set-
back changes are made. If your system
draws in ventilation air from outdoors,
cycling the fan during unoccupied
Save on your HVAC bill by
turning the systems offfor
back) when the building is
unoccupied.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 71
-------
Technical Support.
hours can also help with humidity
control in humid areas.
Substantial savings also are available
by adjusting your temperature
setpoints—lower in the winter and
higher in the summer. Change your
thermostat settings gradually, no more
than a degree or so per week, to see
how low (or high for summer) a set-
ting you need to maintain a comfort-
able facility. Make these changes
without advertising the fact that you
are doing so to avoid having staffers or
congregation members begin grum-
bling about changes before they can
actually feel them. This method also
can help identify problem areas. Check
out the areas where you first receive
complaints about comfort to determine
whether the problem is one of inad-
equate air supply, excessive drafts, or
intense sunlight.
Hire a contractor to repair old valves
and steam traps, if you have them. A
steam trap costs approximately $50. If
broken, it can waste hundreds of dollars
each winter. One supplier estimated
that an average of 20 percent of traps
nationwide are broken. Broken steam
traps not only waste money and energy,
they also cause extreme discomfort.
How much can you save? That depends
on your climate, the size and shape of
your building, how much you set back
your thermostat, and how many hours
per week your building operates
1980s Efficiency
Improvements:
Programmable
Thermostats
Although night-setback and temperature-
setpoint changes are simple enough to
be done manually, an automatic control
is much more efficient and reliable.
Electronic, programmable thermostats—
which allow you to program in desired
setpoint and cutoff times for a 7-day
week—are available for $50 to $200.
Most models include manual override
features, so a staff member or volunteer
who needs to come in at a time when
the system is in setback mode can over-
ride the setback and gather in comfort
without having to reprogram the system.
Be sure to locate the thermostat in a lo-
cation where the temperature is repre-
sentative of the entire area served by the
system—not next to the air-conditioning
diffuser or a coffee pot. Many congrega-
tions find it worthwhile to install a lock-
ing enclosure around their thermostats to
avoid unauthorized tampering with the
setpoints. If you have a heat pump, be
sure you get a heat-pump-programmable
thermostat with a "smart recovery"
feature, which will bring your system
on early enough to minimize the use
of electric strip heating. Heat-pump
thermostats cost about twice as much
as other thermostats because they have
to control multiple types of heating.
1990s And Beyond:
Whole-Building Energy
Optimization And
Management Systems
Programmable thermostats are effective
and work quite well, especially with
individual-unit air conditioners and
heaters. If your facility uses larger,
central systems such as boilers and
chillers, you may wish to use an energy
management system (EMS) instead. In
the 21st century, the EMS market will
likely expand into smaller and smaller
facilities. In addition to the setpoint
and night-setback features, which can
be handled by a programmable ther-
mostat, an EMS can be used to provide
savings in many other ways. Depend-
ing on the type of system you have,
an EMS might be used to provide
72 Puffin; Energy 'nto Stewardship
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Technical Support
some of the following money-saving
automatic control functions:
• Consider installing an economizer.
There may be times when you need
cooling in the building but the out-
side temperature is low. An econo-
mizer allows your system to circulate
outdoor air for free cooling during
these periods. If implemented with-
out an EMS, economizers will cost
$500 to $1,000, installed, on each
rooftop unit.
• Adjust supply-air temperatures
based on indoor and outdoor tem-
perature and humidity to let the
heating and cooling systems operate
most efficiently.
• Adjust chilled-water and hot-water
temperatures based on indoor and
outdoor temperature and humidity
to let the cooling and heating sys-
tems operate most efficiently.
• Implement holiday period automatic
setpoint adjustments.
• Monitor space temperatures to
minimize overheating or overcooling
of spaces on a zone-by-zone basis.
An EMS can be used to control other
functions in your building as well,
such as lighting. It can be monitored
and controlled from a console in a
remote location, such as your home or
your maintenance manager's home.
EMS suppliers typically estimate that
their EMS can cut the heating and
cooling bills of a congregation with a
central chiller and heating system by
10 to 50 percent (many estimates are
clustered in the 20-percent range).
Approximate Percentage Savings From
Thermostat Setback In Non-Worship Space
(Savings for systems serving worship spaces
can be significantly more)
Degree-Days*
Setback Temperature
60 55 50
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
9,000
10,000
13%
12%
11%
10%
9%
8%
7%
7%
6%
5%
25%
24%
22%
20%
19%
16%
15%
13%
11%
9%
38%
36%
33%
30%
28%
24%
22%
19%
16%
14%
*Look up your degree-days on the map below or call your utility for local data.
For a definition of "degree-day," see the glossary in section 3.
Savings based on 65 degrees Fahrenheit and assuming setback for 14 hours per
weeknight and all weekend.
Source: Reducing Energy Costs Means o Better Bottom Line. National Frozen Foods
Association/U.S. Department of Energy.
Zone I — Greater than 7,000 heating degree-days
Zone 2 — Between 5,500 and 7,000 heating degree-days
Zone 3 — Between 4,000 and 5,500 heating degree-days
Zone 4 — Less than 4,000 heating degree-days
Zone 5 — Less than 4,000 heating degree-days and greater than 2,000 cooling degree-days
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 73
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If you plan to upgrade any
heating or cooling equip-
ment, first implement
your other ENERGY STAR
upgrades. Earlier upgrades
(such as lighting replace-
ments or building con-
struction improvements)
may change the size
requirements for your new
heating or cooling system.
Improving Your System
Efficiency
The remainder of this section offers
suggestions on how to improve the
efficiency of various types of HVAC
systems. Because advice is offered
about a variety of different systems, not
every suggestion will apply to your
facility. One piece of advice does apply
uniformly to every congregation, how-
ever, regardless of the type of HVAC
system: Maintain your HVAC system.
Regular maintenance is an often-
overlooked key to saving on your HVAC
costs and improving the performance
of your system. Although some mainte-
nance jobs may require calling in an
outside technician, many can be accom-
plished inexpensively using in-house
staff. Because it also extends the life of
your HVAC equipment, regular mainte-
nance provides significant cost savings
for minimal investment.
Most procedures will be included in a
standard preventive maintenance visit
by an air-conditioning contractor. This
type of system checkup typically costs
less than $100 for a single system, with
additional units included at a discount.
Some examples of systems checks and
standard maintenance procedures that
you or your contractor should do on
HVAC systems include:
• Replacing your air filters regu-
larly. Accumulated dirt and dust
make your fans work harder. Clean
filters help system performance and
also help reduce allergens in your
place of worship. You can do this
without a whole system checkup.
• Cleaning the heat-transfer colls
in heat pumps, air conditioners,
and chillers. Make sure that leaves
and plants do not obstruct outdoor
coils and have any bent coils straight-
ened. In addition to saving energy,
this measure will increase the capac-
ity of your system.
• Inspecting ducts and piping for
leakage and missing or damaged
Insulation and making the indi-
cated repairs. Insulation is espe-
cially important in unconditioned
spaces.
• Making sure that furniture or
other obstructions do not block
air flow around radiators, convec-
tors, or air intakes and dlffusers.
• Identifying any areas in your
facility that are unused, but are
being conditioned. Consider
turning off the HVAC that serves
these areas or closing the vents.
• Adjusting temperature and hu-
midity setpoints seasonally.
Unless it is absolutely required for
humidity control, consider turning
off "reheat" from late spring to fall.
• Having your fuel-fired boiler or
furnace checked out at least
annually, before the heating
season starts. Have the technician
check the combustion efficiency and
report the results along with any
suggestions for improving boiler
efficiency.
In addition to the maintenance
changes suggested here, making op-
erational changes and/or upgrading
some aspects of your HVAC system
may result in significant savings. These
upgrades are more complex in scope
and should be undertaken only after
consultation with an engineering
professional.
This Is Stage Five
Do you remember the five-stage ap-
proach from pages 31 and 32? If you
plan to upgrade heating or cooling
equipment, be sure to do this after
your other ENERGY STAR upgrades have
been implemented because your
earlier upgrades (such as lighting
replacements or building construction
improvements) may result in a change
74 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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in size requirements For your new
heating or cooling system. If you have
a large or architecturally unique site,
insist that the contractor complete a
sizing worksheet or run a computer-
ized sizing analysis for your facility in
its current state of repair. If you think
the results inflate your needs, seek
another quote.
Never buy oversized heating or cooling
equipment on the theory that more
capacity is better. This simply is not
true. Grossly oversized cooling equip-
ment will cycle too often and be unable
to sufficiently dehumidify your space,
which creates a serious comfort issue.
Such equipment also will cost more to
run all year long. Heating equipment
will be equally inefficient if oversized.
This advice is perhaps the most difficult
to follow in this whole guide. Nobody
wants to spend $5,000 on a new air
conditioner and find themselves sweat-
ing when cooling is sought. But both
comfort and costs are at stake. Get the
right size, not the right size plus one,
and you'll be happy.
If your system was properly sized
before making any ENERGY STAR im-
provements, your contractor may find
that your system is now oversized
and savings potentially can be real-
ized by downsizing portions. If your
system was undersized before you
began your ENERGY STAR upgrades,
you may find that your improvements
have, in effect, balanced your loads
and capacity.
Hot New Technologies: Variable-
Speed Drives, Heat Recovery, And
Radiant Heating Variable-Speed
Drives (VSDs). If you have a larger
system in your building, you may be
able to take advantage of available
savings through installing VSDs on air
blowers or even pumps. VSDs allow
sophisticated control of how much air
or water is provided by heating and
cooling equipment, which has a sig-
nificant effect on how much energy
is consumed.
Heat Recovery. Your congregation
may operate a building that requires
high levels of fresh air (for example, a
nursing home). Installing heat recovery
equipment will allow you to recapture
some of the energy you have invested
in heating or cooling that air and trans-
fer it to the fresh air stream.
Radiant Heating. For areas where
high ceilings or low insulation levels
make heating costly, natural gas-fired
radiant heating (which heats occupants
directly) is an option to consider.
Tips For Selecting Heating
And Cooling Systems
• Proper sizing is critical to efficient
performance
• Check if utility rebates are
available
• When buying smaller heating or
cooling equipment, look for the
ENERGY STAR logo—your guarantee
of savings
• Call the ENERGY STAR hotline
(l-888-STAR-YES) to request all
the materials you need to make
you an "energy-smart shopper"
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 75
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Success Story
HVAC Equipment Pays Back In North Carolina
The cost of replacing HVAC equipment can be a burden for any
facility, but a smart shopper can use the replacement as an
opportunity to reduce operating costs by purchasing energy-
efficient equipment.
An ENERGY STAR partner in Durham, NC, needed to replace HVAC
equipment in its 2,200-sq.ft. building. The 23-year-old system was
a gas furnace with a continuously burning pilot light and an open
flue. Cooling was provided by a condensing unit with a poor
seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 7
The new heating system included a gas furnace with electronic
ignition and a forced draft fan Cooling equipment with a SEER
of 12 was installed. This new system outperforms the old one,
cutting both electric and gas usage while increasing comfort The
electronic ignition eliminates the continual gas use by the old
pilot light, and the forced draft fan contains any heat lost through
the open flue The new gas furnace cut gas usage by more than
20 percent in its first heating season. Elimination of the pilot
light's energy use will add to the total savings. Electric savings
due to the increased energy efficiency of the cooling equipment
is predicted to be approximately 40 percent.
To find out more about these and
other technologies, call the toll-free
ENERGY SIAR hotline at 1-888-STAR-YES
and ask for materials suited to your
congregation And remember, we're
here to provide you with unbiased
technical information for all your
energy-efficiency upgrades
Time For Another Repair?
Because of the nigh cost of large HVAC
equipment, the energy savings alone
may not justify replacing equipment in
good working order If your equipment
requires frequent repairs or is nearmg
the end of its life expectancy, however,
it may be wise to consider replacing it
from both a preventive maintenance
standpoint and an energy savings stand-
point A scheduled replacement can
generally be negotiated at a lower cost
and with less inconvenience than the
emergency replacement of a failed unit
Call your utility to find out if it offers
rebates on high-efficiency equipment
Technical Talk: Special Types Of Heating And Cooling Systems
Systems That Simultaneously Heat And Cool. In reheat systems, air that is colder than required is supplied to a specific area and then
reheated before it enters the room In dual-duct or multizone systems, heated air is mixed with cooled air Although these systems provide
good temperature and humidity control, this simultaneous heating and cooling is inherently wasteful and should be minimized If this is being
done for humidity control, consider alternatives such as desiccants and heat pipes
Single-Zone Chilled-Water Systems. Consider reducing the air volume and, during relatively dry seasons, raising the cooling supply
temperature Also consider conversion to a vanable-air-volume (VAV) system.
Water-Side Systems. Consider downsizing oversized pumps and motors, installing vanable-speed drives on pump motors, and convening
single-loop configurations to a configuration with primary and secondary loops
Water-Cooled Centrifugal Chillers. If your chiller predates 1990, it may be using R-11 or R-12 refrigerants. Manufacture of these has
been banned due to the Clean Air Act of 1991, reducing their availability and making their prices skyrocket, so any upgrade should consider
converting the chillers to utilize newer refrigerants. Consider replacing your chiller if it is more than 20 years old
Boilers. Consider replacing an oversized, inefficient boiler with a smaller, more efficient boiler Also consider upgrading an existing boiler
with energy savings options such as a newer, more efficient burner (which will also reduce emissions), baffle inserts (to increase the efficiency
of fire-tube boilers), combustion controls (to optimize efficiency each hour), warm-weather controls for hot-water boilers (to reduce the
water temperature during milder weather), economizers (to preheat feedwater), and condensate return systems (for open-loop steam boiler
systems) If you have multiple boilers, keep in mind that it is more cost effective to run one of them at full load than both at partial load.
Multiple boilers can be staged in response to return water temperature.
Large Central Systems. If you have a large central system and you find that one area of your facility operates for substantially more hours
than die others, it may be cost effective to install a smaller, dedicated system in that area
76 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Other Ideas For Energy
Stewardship
Ideas on energy optimizations and
related savings are far more numer-
ous than the ones presented in this
guide. The possibilities are endless.
In this section we will point out a few
more specific ideas, but don't let us
constrain you. Anywhere energy is used
can be an opportunity for improvement.
Motors
The rules of thumb here are simple.
First, buy high-efficiency motors when-
ever you replace old motors. Second,
if you use a standard efficiency motor
(less than 100 horsepower) 24 hours
every day, replace it with its high-
efficiency equivalent right away and
your savings will increase in less than
five years. Beyond that, your decision
is mainly a factor of the motor-cost
premium, hours of use, and your elec-
tricity cost, shown in the table in dol-
lars per kilowatt-hour ($/kWh).
Cooking Equipment
Don't preheat your cooking equip-
ment. Don't preheat your electric or
gas equipment for more than a few
minutes. Although chefs are not likely
to appreciate your telling them how to
run their kitchens, it's worth a try.
Use the microwave or gas stove in
place of electric resistance cooking
when possible. Both cost less.
Buy the efficient version. Many
fryers, broilers, soup kettles, and other
equipment have optional controls and
features that minimize their energy use.
Often they are worth the additional
cost, but we cannot offer a guarantee.
Improve kitchen ventilation. Turn
off your makeup air unit whenever
you are not cooking and especially at
night. These units, together with the
exhaust hoods, demand tremendous
amounts of energy. You need to pro-
vide a safe and comfortable environ-
ment without odors and smoke, but
turn both systems off when they are
not needed.
Fuel Conversions
Electric resistance heating is typically
the most expensive option when com-
pared with natural gas, propane, and
other fuels. If you already have gas
onsite but still use electric-resistance
heat for water heating, clothes drying,
cooking, or other processes, ask your
plumbing or general contractor to tell
When buying new equip-
ment or appliances, look
for the ENERGY STAR label,
your guarantee of savings.
For more information,
visit www.energystar.govl
products or ask for
"Congregations tech
support" at
1-888 STARVES.
Should You Buy A High-Efficiency Motor?
Example: 5 Horsepower Motor
$80 Cost Premium For High-Efficiency Motor
$480 Total Cost For High-Efficiency Motor
Annual Cost Savings At Electric Rate Shown
$0.12
Always buy standard efficiency
Buy high-efficiency motor upon burnout
Buy high-efficiency motor immediately
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 77
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Lighting accounts for one
third of the total power
consumption in a typical
vending machine.
you what it will cost to convert your
equipment. It could be a very good
investment for equipment you use
often or were going to replace anyway.
Vending Machines
Let's face it, vending machines are
everywhere. They are in places such
as office buildings, cafeterias, theatres,
auto repair shops, congregation halls,
and various other locations. In other
words, if you are thirsty and in need of
a cold drink, you do not have to look
very far to find a vending machine that
meets your needs.
That's the good news, the bad news is
that with so many vending machines
operating 24 hours a day, energy waste
is inevitable. In addition, this waste
is undoubtedly causing stress on our
natural resources and environment.
A typical vending machine consumes
about 3,000 kWh per year; four times
that of a residential refrigerator!
But there's hope' Today manufacturers
are rethinking the design of vending
machines with more of a focus on
environmental impacts. And now with
the emergence of new and exciting
"smart controls", the industry has the
opportunity to reduce energy waste
even further. Major energy saving
advancements have been made in the
following areas:
Efficient Lighting. Lighting accounts
for one third of the total power con-
sumption in a typical vending machine.
Traditional T-12 fluorescent lamps can
be successfully replaced with higher
quality and more efficient T-8 lamps.
(Note, de-lamping is sometimes an
option, but there are concerns of
possible negative impacts on product
sales)
Improved Refrigeration & Seals.
Improvements in compressor efficien-
cies and reductions in thermal leaks
(through seal and insulation advance-
ments) have led to machines that can
minimize demand, usage and waste,
while maintaining a superior product
for customers.
"Smart Controls." Timers and new
control advancements employing
sensors are now being used to reduce
energy waste without posing a risk to
the products' ideal temperature and
environment. These controls can
"sense" when a product is needed and
not waste energy consumed during
long stand-by periods.
On a less technical note, the heating
effect of the sun will cause a vending
machine to consume more energy to
cool its products. If your congregation's
vending machines must be outside,
locate them in a shaded area if possible.
Saving energy in vending machines can
be achieved by both the purchase of
new efficient models or by retrofitting
existing models with "smart controls."
Employing these tactics can save any-
where from 20 to 50 percent of the
machines' energy consumption. Now
that's a lot of soda!
Point-of-Use (POU) and
Pressurized Water Coolers
Point-of-use (POU) and pressurized
water coolers use a common refrigera-
tion cycle to chill water for on-demand
drinking. POU is the more common
type of cooler typically using five gallon
bottles of water and dispensing the
water through a tap using gravity to
force out the water. Some of these POU
coolers have heaters built in to provide
on-demand hot water as well. Typical
energy consumption of these devices
may be 300 to 400 kWh/year with cool-
ing only or 500 to 1,000 kWh/year with
a heater. Pressurized water coolers use
potable water from a building's domes-
tic water supply providing on-demand
chilled water usually by depressing
a mechanical button or bar. Typical
energy consumption for these is 300
to 400 kWh/year as well.
78 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Water coolers are typically needed
during normal operating hours. Your
water cooler may be running even when
no demand for drinking water exists. If
you installed a simple plug-in timer set
for normal operating hours only, you
could cut the operating cost for your
water cooler in half. Energy consump-
tion would drop from 300 to 400 kWh/
year to 150 to 200 kwh/year as a result
of this simple energy efficiency measure.
If your congregation facilities is only
open during the workweek, your energy
savings could be even greater as the
timer shuts down your water cooler on
the weekends. Currently ENERGY STAR is
working on a performance standard for
an ENERGY STAR labeled water cooler. The
basis of the proposed label is simply
adding a timer to the water coolers to
qualify the manufacturer for an ENERGY
STAR label. Your congregation can be
ahead of the program by simply adding
a timer today.
Many POU water coolers have an
additional feature of providing instant
hot water. This is an expensive option
when you consider the energy con-
sumption. Just cooling the water re-
quires about 100 W of cooling power,
but heating the water may require 300
W of heating power, five times as much
energy! Consider whether or not your
congregation really needs this option. If
it does, again, consider adding a timer
to reduce energy consumption during
idle periods. Also, if your congregation's
POU water cooler has a hot water
option, look for a small switch on the
back of your unit. Many manufacturers
include this switch to turn off the hot
water feature. If so equipped, consider
turning off the hot water supply if your
congregation does not use the hot water
feature.
Icemakers
Some churches or their community
centers have icemakers. Icemakers use
a common refrigeration cycle to pro-
duce ice cubes for general use. Most
icemakers use air-cooled condensers,
like refrigerators, to reject heat Some
use potable water to cool the condenser
making them more energy efficient, but
costing the user added operating costs
with water and sewage fees. Icemakers
range in size from 100 to 1,300 pounds/
24 hours of ice generation. Energy con-
sumption is rated in kWh/100 pounds
of ice. Typical energy consumption ran-
ges are from 4 to 13 kWh/100 pounds
of ice. Remote condensers (located out-
doors) are available on some ice-
makers. These types of icemakers are
advantageous because the condenser's
heat rejection is to the outdoors rather
than inside your building where the air-
conditioning equipment has to remove
this heat. Remote condensing is usually
available on large units only.
Annual energy consumption of a
medium-sized icemaker may be up
to 5,000 kWh. Compare this to the
/f your congregation has
on icemaker, you have a
tremendous opportunity
to save energy by
selecting an energy-
effcientmoa'e/.
Using ENERGY STAR labeled
water coolers can save
your congregation as much
as $47 per unit!
Success Story
St Elizabeth of Hungary in Wyandotte, Ml, is in the forefront of
teaching its members about exciting new technologies for im-
plementing energy upgrades In July 1997, the 19,800-square-foot
church contracted with an engineering firm to do a study that
would help it become more energy efficient. The church took the
firm's recommendations and has sought to implement all that were
feasible. Some of the changes included: boiler replacement, re-
placement of incandescent lamps with halogen, air/heat ballast
installation, installation of an energy-efficient air-conditioning unit,
and replacement of toilets with low-flow models.
The church is also planning to install solar shingles on the rectory
garage roof for a basic photovoltaic system, and a solar thermal
system to provide hot water in the rectory The church estimates
that two-thirds of its hot water needs will be handled by this
system and that through energy savings they will recoup capital
costs in five years So far, the congregation has experienced more
than $11,000 a year in energy savings, and the 114,285 kWh saved
will prevent about 227,199 pounds of CO2 emissions annually.
Reverend Charles M Morns says, 'The greatest piece of advice we
can make to any congregation is to invest in a competent energy
audit done by a reputable firm And, then follow through with the
recommendations."
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 79
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Success Story
At the Covington Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Taylor Mill, KY,
stewardship includes taking care of the earth, as well as the funds
they receive. Of the total 18,400-square-foot facilities, about 13,600
square feet is an adjoining elementary school The church has
made many improvements over the years including a new high-
efficiency HVAC system, adding ceiling fans, installing computer-
ized setback thermostats, installing LED exit signs and emergency
lighting, and generally reducing the energy load. The church's
first cost savings changes were made out of necessity. Two such
examples were replacing the malfunctioning heating and air-
conditioning system and installing new exit lights The church
says that seeing the cost savings from the projects that were
forced upon them gave them the confidence to make some
changes based solely on increased energy efficiency.
Additionally, by changing the outside lighting to high-efficiency
equipment with photocells, the church has increased safety and
security while reducing cost and maintenance labor. Adam Palmer,
the Building Committee Chairman, says that he also thinks that it
improves the appearance of the building at night Finally, after
seeing annual savings of more than $2,700, the church is planning
even more energy efficiency upgrades. Covington stands out as a
shining example of what can be accomplished by a congregation
that is dedicated to stewardship. The 21,740 kWh saved will pre-
vent about 48,154 pounds of CO^ emissions annually Palmer says,
"While with some of the projects there seemed to be doubtful
members in the congregation, they soon became convinced once
the energy reduction planning resulted in real financial and envi-
ronmental benefits to the entire congregation."
A typical brewing element
may consume 1,400
Watts of energy, more
than twice that of a
residential refrigerator!
energy consumption of a standard-
sized, residential refrigerator. Most
standard-sized refrigerators consume
about 700 kWh/year or less. A single
icemaker may consume as much en-
ergy as several standard refrigerators'
If your congregation has an icemaker,
you have a tremendous opportunity to
save energy by selecting an energy-
efficient model. Some of the most
energy-efficient models available in
the marketplace may be up to 30 per-
cent more efficient. Shopping for the
most energy efficient will help your
congregation save money.
When purchasing an icemaker for your
congregation, inquire about the energy
consumption in kWh/100 Ibs of ice and
compare this energy level with several
competitors. Compare air-cooled units
with water cooled to determine which
is best for your congregation Water-
cooled units use less energy per pound
of ice, but may cost you more operat-
ing dollars given the added cost of
water and sewage.
Large Coffee Machines
Large coffee machines are using more
energy than you think.
Typical large coffee machines use energy
both to maintain a supply of water at a
certain temperature for instant brewing
and to keep multiple pots of prepared
coffee warm for consumption. The prob-
lem with this is that some coffee ma-
chines are designed to maintain a very
80 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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hot water temperature at all times, even
when not brewing coffee. The machine's
energy-intensive brewing element
turns on and off a few times an hour
automatically to maintain that tempera-
ture. A typical brewing element may
consume 1,400 watts of energy, more
than twice that of a residential refrig-
erator! The only way to stop the brew-
ing element from activating is to
manually turn off the power switch
(usually in the back of the machine)
when it is not needed, i.e., overnight
and weekends. The red indicator light
switches that control the pot warmers
do not control the brewing heating
element. So even when all those red
indicator lights are out and there is no
coffee activity and you think every-
thing is fine—you are still using en-
ergy'
To make sure that your coffee machine
is not wasting energy, always check
that the main on/off switch is in the
off position when not in use. Manually
performing this function is probably
the simplest way to proceed, but for
those of you that like gadgets, there are
always timers that can be used to auto-
mate the process. One last thing to re-
member though, if you do turn off the
coffee machine for the night or week-
end, allow several minutes (consult
your coffee machine operator manual)
in the morning to let the machine warm
up—as we all know, nobody likes cold
coffee.
Green Power
Your congregation may want to ask its
local company about purchasing green
power. The term green power is used
to define power generated from renew-
able energy sources. Energy sources for
green power often include solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass, landfill gas, and
hydropower sites. Energy generated
from these renewable sources has fewer
negative environmental impacts than
energy generated from traditional meth-
ods. In markets where green power is
available, you usually will have to pay
a premium, or additional charge, for
having your power produced from re-
newable sources. However, power pro-
duced from these renewable sources
results in reduced greenhouse gas
emissions.
Other Resources
Solar Initiatives- www eren.doe gov/milhonroofs/
Xeriscape: www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/
xenscape.html
www.windstar org/wildlife
Green Power www.eren doe gov/greenpower/
www epa.gov/globalwarming/acuons/
cleanenergy/index html
www epa.gov/globalwarming/news/
speeches/hogan_080700 html
www.eren.doe gov/power/
www.green-e org/
Green Building www.usgbc org
www eren.doe.gov/EE/buildings.html
www.archrecord com
www.greenconcepts.com
Climate Change www.epa gov/globalwarming
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 81
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IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE...
12 SIMPLE, SURE ENERGY SAVERS:
ENERGY STAR* and Rebuild America advocate that optimal
energy and dollar savings are the result of comprehensive
efficiency upgrades. Comprehensive upgrades address all
efficiency opportunities that offer an acceptable return-on-
investmentThe energy productivity of equipment and build-
ings can be enhanced.
This can sound complicated, and achieving optimal energy
efficiency almost always requires professional technical assis-
tance. However, if the requirements for comprehensive up-
grades may stop a congregation from taking action, there are
12 reliable, low-risk, high-return actions that are relatively
simple.
Let's overview the comprehensive approach, first. In addition
to the facility's "shell" (doors, windows, roofing, walls, floor,
with their varying insulation/ resistance values, reflectance, and
thermal mass), the facility has "systems" (such as lighting, chill-
ers, space heatmg/ventilation/air-conditiomng, water heating).
The facility's energy costs are also driven by equipment (com-
puters, copiers, printers, fax machines, water heaters, water
coolers, etc.) and appliances (refrigerators, washers/dryers,
dishwashers, stoves, vending machines, etc.). And, of course,
the hours of operation, climate, type of facility, and local util-
ity rates, are also major factors in energy costs.
Sound complicated' Sure it does, but the highest savings re-
quire a strategic investment of time and money. That's why many
of America's largest institutions and corporations have not yet
implemented all the financially viable actions possible to save
money with energy efficiency, even with on-site facility manag-
ers, and easy access to capital for improvements.
The above comprehensive list can be somewhat overwhelm-
ing for the smaller facility owner/operator, who probably
lacks a professional facility manager "down the hall," or faces
tough decisions on capital improvement and maintenance
budgets. An applicable perspective here is that "perfection
is the enemy of good." Meaning, .if comprehensive efficiency
upgrades are "too much," then key, strategic upgrades are a
lot better than doing nothing, even if targeted upgrades are
not optimal and comprehensive.
To this end, Rebuild America and ENERGY STAR for Congrega-
tions suggest that "if you don't do anything else..." at least
implement all you can from this list of 12 simple energy savers.
I) Turn off lights and equipment when they are not in use
Seems obvious, but high utility costs often include pay-
ing for energy that is completely wasted To automate
this function, read on...
2) Buy ENERGY STAR labeled office equipment, and other
products, when needed, and be sure the "stand-by
mode" function is activated. This automatic "sleep
mode" saves energy and money when the equipment
is not in use, by reducing the "vampire" effect of "in-
stant on" (always on) equipment, which is constantly
drawing power
3) Install "occupant sensors" in the proper locations
to automatically turn off lighting when no one is
present, and back on when they return. Sensors add
convenience as well as save money. But, even good
equipment can be installed wrong, so don't install the
sensor behind a coat rack, door, or bookcase. It must
be able to "see" the motion of an occupant approach-
ing an unlit area to turn on the light before, or as, they
enter.The savings come when people leave an area,
and the sensor ensures that the lights are always au-
tomatically turned off until someone returns. Although,
you, personally, never forget to turn off the lights, just
think about all those other people wasting money.
4) Adjust lighting to your actual needs; use free "day-
lighting." This means turn off or dim your lights when
daylight is adequate, or use automatic "daylight dim-
ming" ballasts/controls to do this for you.To prevent
computer screen glare, eyestram, and headaches, use
limited "task lighting" and do not"overlight" the area.
Too much light can be as bad for visual quality as too
little light—and it costs a lot more.
5) Tune up your HVAC system with an annual main-
tenance contract Even a new ENERGY STAR labeled
HVAC (heating/ventilation/air-conditiomng) system—
just like a new car—will decline in performance
without regular maintenance A yearly maintenance
contract will cost about $ 100, but can save even more
than it costs, and the contract automatically ensures
that your HVAC contractor will provide preseason
tune-ups before each cooling and heating season You
save money with "no sweat" in the summer; no chills
in the winter.
82 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Technical Support
6) Regularly change (or clean if reusable) the HVAC filters
with your own "do-it-yourself labor for a high "return
on investment." During peak cooling or heating season,
change or clean your filters every month; they cost
about $2 to $3 each. Dirty filters can cost up to $5
a month extra, overwork the equipment, and result
in dirtier indoor air. Consider purchasing electrostatic
filters, which are washable, long lasting, and provide
cleaner air. Clean or change filters more often if smok-
ers or pollution sources are present
7) Install a programmable thermostat to automate your
HVAC system An "old-fashioned" thermostat turns the
HVAC on and off based on temperature, not whether
the building is occupied, or whether you benefit from
the coolmg/heating.This solid-state, electronic device
can optimize HVAC operation 24/7 based on your
needs. For example, instead of heating or cooling all
night, so you can enter a comfortable building in the
morning, this "smart" thermostat can turn on the
HVAC one hour before you arrive, based on your
daily/hourly needs. The cost can be $25 to $150, and
it could cut your HVAC costs about 30 percent.
8) Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluores-
cent lamps (CFLs), wherever appropriate. CFLs cost
about 75 percent less to operate and last about 10
times longer. Enough said.
9) Install LED (light-emitting diode) exit signs. Your current
fixture may accept a simple, screw-in lighting element to
replace the small incandescent bulbs that burn out with
frustrating frequency.This string of LEDs will cost about
$15 to $20, will last decades, give brighter light, and end
risky ladder climbing to replace bulbs. If your current
exit sign will not accept the screw-in lighting element, a
new LED exit sign fixture costs about $100, and will still
save about 90% over incandescent bulbs' operating costs.
10) Control direct sun through windows. During cooling
season, block direct heat gain from the sun shining
through glass on the east and west sides of the building.
Depending on your situation, there are several options
such as solar screen, solar film, awnings, and vines. Over
time, trees can attractively shade the glass and building.
Interior curtains or drapes can help, but it's best to prevent
the summer heat from getting past the glass and inside.
During heating season, with the sun low in the south,
unobstructed southern windows can contribute heat
gam during the day, but should be covered at night.
11) Use fans. Comfort is a function of temperature, humidity,
and air movement Moving air can make a somewhat
higher temperature and/or humidity feel comfortable.
Fans can help delay or reduce the need for air condi-
tioning, and a temperature setting of only 3 to 5 de-
grees higher can feel as comfortable with fans. Each
degree of higher temperature can save about 3 percent
on cooling costs.
Ceiling fans can even be reversed in the winter and on
low speed will pull warmer air down from the ceiling.
When the temperature outside is more comfortable
than inside, a box fan in the window, or whole house fan
in the attic can push air out of the building and pull in
comfortable outside air. In areas (like kitchens) with
high heat and humidity from cooking, fans can make a
huge difference in employee and customer comfort by
giving a boost to air-conditioning. Fans can increase
comfort and save money year-round.
12) Plug the leaks with weatherstripping and caulking; an-
other cheap "do-it-yourself" job. Caulking and weather-
stripping let you manage your ventilation, which is the
desirable, deliberately controlled exchange of stuffy
inside air for fresher outdoor air. Most public buildings
require 15 to 20 cubic feet per minute (CFM) venti-
lation per person for healthy indoor air. Exceptions
and details can be found in "Building Air Quality" at
www.epa gov/iaq.
However, air infiltration is the uncontrolled leaking or
exchange of inside air (which you paid to heat or cool)
at a high rate through cracks around windows, doors,
utility switches/outlets, and any other holes between
the inside and outside.This can make heating or cool-
ing a building very expensive, and still leave it uncom-
fortable; drafty or clammy.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 83
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Technical Support
Success Story
*
Vent
tries'Prove To Be Prosperous
Each vending machine, that takes advantage
of theVendingMiser (shown below) can save
i $75 a year in energy coSts.
The Moscow, Idaho School District was looking for a quick and easy
way to begin to save energy and their facilities budget and the Avista
Utility Corporation had just what they were looking for, Avista was
offering VendingMiser units Free of charge to communities in their
service territory throughout northern Idaho and southern Washing-
ton. Avista's program would provide new, energy-saving technology,
but allow their clients to take advantage of the payback costs.
The VendingMiser, which is manufactured by Bayview Technologies,
Inc., uses a customized infrared sensor that limits the energy supplied
to the machine when the surrounding area is unoccupied. The ma-
chines are also equipped with smart controls that "learn" the tem-
perature of the room, increasing the power to the machine when
necessary and ensuring the products remain at an optimal temperature.
Taken together, these energy-saving measures reduce maintenance
costs and extend the useful life Of the vending machine^ Each Vending-
Miser saves about 1,500 kWh of electricity a year, averaging approxi-
mately $75 a year per machine.
In 2000, Avista installed 20 units in six of Moscow's schools, During
the first six months of use, an additional 110 units were installed
throughout the conamunity. Currently, there are plans to install an
additional 130-140 units. Once all of these machines are installed,
Moscow, Idaho, will save; about $375,000 kWh or $18,750 a year.
84 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Supporting
Material
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Supporting Material
Glossary
AHU: See air-handling unit.
air side systems: Equipment used to heat, cool, and transport air within building
HVAC systems.
air-handling unit (AHU): Equipment used to distribute conditioned air to a
space. Includes heating and cooling coils, fans, ducts, and filters.
ARI: Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.
ASHRAE: American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
Engineers, Inc.
ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
balancing: The process of measuring and adjusting equipment to obtain desired
flows. Applies to both air side and water side systems.
ballast; A power-regulating device that modifies input voltage and controls
current to provide the electrical conditions necessary to start and operate gaseous
discharge lamps.
boiler: A pressure vessel designed to transfer heat (produced by combustion) or
electric resistance to a fluid. In most boilers, the fluid is water in the form of
liquid or steam
British thermal unit (Btu): A unit of energy equivalent to the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit.
Btu: See British thermal unit.
calibration: The process of adjusting equipment to ensure that operation is
within design parameters.
carbon dioxide (CO,): A colorless, odorless, incombustible gas formed during
respiration, combustion, and organic decomposition. Increasing amounts of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are believed to contribute to the global warm-
ing phenomenon.
carbon monoxide (CO): A colorless, odorless, poisonous gas formed during
incomplete combustion of fuel.
CAV: See constant volume.
central plant: A centrally located equipment that satisfies a building's cooling
and heating loads.
CERCLA: The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and
Liability Act (1980). Also known as the Superfund law.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 87
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Supporting Material,
CFCs: See chlorqfluorocarbons.
cfm: Cubic feet per minute.
chiller: A mechanical device that generates cold liquid, which is circulated
through cooling coils to cool the air supplied to a building.
chlorofluorocarbons: Chemical compounds consisting of carbon, hydrogen,
chlorine, and fluorine, once used widely as aerosol propellants and refrigerants.
Believed to deplete the atmospheric ozone layer.
coefficient of performance (COP): A measure of efficiency in which a higher
value designates a more efficient system.
coil, condenser: A heat exchanger used to condense refrigerant from a gas to a
liquid.
coil, cooling: A heat exchanger used to cool air under forced convection with or
without dehumidification. May consist of a single coil section or several coil
sections assembled into a bank.
coll, fan: A device that combines a heat exchanger and a fan in a single unit that
conditions air by forced convection.
coil, heating: A heat exchanger that heats air under forced convection. May
consist of a single coil section or several coil sections assembled into a bank.
color rendering index (CRI): A measure ranging from 0 to 100 of the accuracy
with which a light source renders different colors in comparison to natural light,
which has a measure of 100.
combustion air: Air that supplies the oxygen required to burn fuel.
commissioning: The quality assurance process that ensures design intent is met
for new facilities or major rehabilitation.
condenser: A heat exchanger in a refrigeration system that expels building heat
absorbed in the evaporator.
conditioned air: Air that serves a space and that has had its temperature and/or
humidity altered to meet design specifications.
constant volume (CAV, constant air volume): A type of air-handling system
that maintains comfort in buildings by providing a constant air flow and varying
the air temperature.
control: A device that analyzes the difference between an actual process value and
a desired process value and brings the actual value closer to the desired value.
control, pneumatic: A control that uses air pressure to vary equipment opera-
tion.
control, set back: The practice of reducing the thermostat setpoint during
unoccupied times.
cooling tower: A device that dissipates heat from water-cooled systems through
a combination of heat and mass transfer, whereby the water to be cooled is
distributed in the tower and exposed to circulated ambient air.
88 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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. Supporting Material
COP: See coefficient of performance.
CM: See color rendering index.
cycling: The noncontinuous operation of equipment.
dampers: Single- or multiple-blade devices, either manually or automatically
opened or closed, that control the flow of air.
deadband: A setting in the lighting control that provides a time delay, signaling
the lights to switch off only if the light level is somewhat above the setting, or on
only if the level is somewhat below the setting
degree-day: A rough measure used to estimate the amount of heating required in
a given area. A degree-day is defined as the difference between the mean daily
temperature and 65 degrees Farenheit 00- This is based on the assumption that no
heating is required when the temperature is above 65°F, and that proportionately
more heating is required the further the average temperature is from 65°F Cooling
degree-days also may be calculated to estimate cooling requirements.
DEHP: Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, an insulator used to replace PCBs in ballast
capacitors starting in 1979. DEHP is listed as a hazardous waste in its pure form,
but, according to RCRA, it is no longer considered hazardous when used in a
lighting ballast
demand charges: Fees levied by a utility company for electric demand.
demand ventilation: A method of controlling the amount of outdoor air intake
based on carbon dioxide levels in a space.
demand, electric: Electrical power delivered to a system at a given time or
averaged over a designated period. Expressed in kilowatts.
deslccank A material that absorbs moisture from its surrounding environment.
dlffuser, HVAO A device that distributes conditioned air to a space
dlffuser, lighting: A device that distributes light produced by lamps into a space
direct expansion system; A cooling system in which the refrigerant runs in the
cooling coil to cool the air directly; that is, there is no water loop between the
refrigerant and the air to be cooled.
domestic hot water: All hot water consumed in a building that is used for
purposes other than heating a space.
downsizing: The process of reducing the size (capacity) of equipment so that it
operates efficiently at design load conditions.
ductwork: The distribution system for air in HVAC systems. It is usually made of
sheet metal or fiberglass
efficacy: The ratio of lamp lumen output to total lamp power input expressed in
lumens per watt
efficiency: The ratio of power output to power input
Puffing Energy Into Stewardship 89
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Supporting Material,
EMS: See energy management system.
Energy efficiency ratio (EER): The measure of the instantaneous energy
efficiency of room air conditioners; the cooling capacity in Btu/hr divided by the
watts of power consumed at a specific outdoor temperature (usually 95 degrees
Fahrenheit).
energy management system OEMS): The control system that monitors the
environment and energy usage in a building and alters equipment operation to
conserve energy while providing occupant comfort.
ENERGY STAR label: EPA's registered trademark symbolizing excellence in energy
efficiency.
evaporator: A heat exchanger in a refrigeration system that absorbs heat from
chilled water or building air, thus reducing the supply temperature.
exhaust aln Air removed from a building and not reused.
fan, cooling tower: Fans that are used to draw air through the cooling tower to
cany away water vapor.
footcandle (fc): A unit of illuminance equal to one lumen per square foot.
fouling: The buildup of a film that reduces heat transfer.
gasket: Material used to seal a joint against leakage.
glazing system: A configuration of materials with a transparent or translucent
element designed to admit sunlight.
glazing: Glass set or made to be set in frames.
GPM: Gallons per minute. A measure of water flow rate.
Green Power: Power that is generated from renewable sources, such as solar,
wind, or geothermal sources.
heat exchanger: A device that transfers heat from one fluid to another.
heat gain: Waste heat produced during the operation of electrical equipment.
Typically, heat gain can be minimized by improving efficiency.
heat, latent: The heat required to change the phase of a substance (that is, liquid
to gas or gas to liquid).
heat pump: A device that extracts heat from one medium and transfers it to
another portion of the same medium or to a second medium at a higher tempera-
ture.
heat, sensible: The heat required to change temperature without changing
phase.
heat-exchange area: An area where heat is transferred from one medium to
another.
HID: High-intensity discharge.
90 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Supporting Material
hp: Horsepower. A unit of mechanical power.
humldlstafc A device that responds to humidity changes and controls equipment
by seeking a setpoint.
HVAC: Heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning.
IAQ: Indoor air quality.
IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
IES: Illuminating Engineering Society.
illuminance! Commonly called light level, the light intensity arriving on a surface
measured in foorcandles.
impeller: The rotating element of a fan or pump used to circulate the air or
water.
infiltration: Air that leaks into a building through the building shell.
internal rate of return (IRR): The compound interest rate at which the total
discounted benefits equal total discounted costs for a particular investment.
IRR: See internal rate of return.
kilowatt (kW): A unit of power equal to 1,000 watts
kilowatt-hour (kWh): A unit of electric consumption equal to the work done by
one kilowatt acting for one hour.
kW: See kilowatt
kWh: See kilowatt-hour.
load: Demand on the operating resources of a system. In the case of energy loads
in buildings, the word generally refers to heating, cooling, and electrical (or
demand) loads.
load, cooling: The cooling (typically measured in Btu/hr or tons) required to
maintain an indoor design temperature.
lumen: A unit measurement of the rate at which a light source produces light per
unit time.
lumlnaire: A complete lighting unit consisting of one or more lamps together
with a housing, the optical components to distribute the light from the lamps, and
the electrical components (ballast, starters, etc.) necessary to operate the lamps.
luminance: Commonly referred to as brightness, the light leaving a surface
measured in footlamberts. It considers both illuminance on the surface and
reflectance of the surface.
luminance ratio: The ratio between the luminances of any two areas in the
visual field. This is a measure of the uniformity of luminance.
maintenance: An ongoing process to ensure equipment operates at peak
performance.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 91
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Supporting Material,
meter: A device used to measure and display or record data.
nitrogen oxides (NCT): Chemical compounds that contain nitrogen and oxygen.
They react with volatile organic compounds in the presence of heat and sunlight
to form ozone and are a major precursor to acid rain.
occupancy sensor: A device that detects the presence or absence of occupants
and controls operation of equipment accordingly.
off-peak: Refers to a utility rate schedule that designates the time of day when
energy and demand costs typically are less expensive.
on-peak: Refers to a utility rate schedule that designates the time of day when
energy and demand costs typically are more expensive.
packaged unit: A self-contained HVAC unit that provides heating and/or cooling
to a building space.
part-load: The condition when equipment operates at less than full capacity to
meet the demand placed upon it.
part-load conditions: Time when equipment is operating at less than design
loads; represents the majority of the time equipment is operating.
part-load performance: Equipment efficiency at less than full capacity.
payback, simple: Also known as payback. Measurement of the elapsed time
between an initial investment and the point at which accumulated savings are
sufficient to offset the initial investment.
payback: See payback, simple.
PCB: Polychlorinated biphenyl; a substance used as an insulator in the capacitor
of fluorescent and HID magnetic ballasts prior to 1970. PCBs have been labeled
as carcinogenic and can cause skin, liver, and reproductive disorders.
peak (cooling) load: The maximum cooling required to maintain an indoor
design temperature under the most adverse summertime outdoor air conditions.
photocell: A device that responds electrically to the presence of light.
power factor: The ratio of real power to total apparent power.
power quality: The degree to which voltage and current wave forms conform to
a sinusoidal shape and are in synchronous phase with one another. Poor power
quality can have negative impacts on electrical equipment.
PPM: Parts per million. A unit of concentration.
pressure drop: The loss in pressure expenenced by flowing water or air due to
friction and obstructions.
pump, chilled-water: A device that circulates chilled water.
radiator: A device that provides warmth to a space through radiant or convective
heat provided by either steam or hot water.
RCRA: The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)
92 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Supporting Material
recommlsslonlng: See tune-up, building.
reflector: A device installed in luminaires used to direct light from a source via
specular or diffuse reflection.
refrigerant: A substance, such as CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs, air, ammonia, water, or
carbon dioxide, used to provide cooling by evaporation and condensation
reset, chilled water: The practice of increasing chilled water temperature to
obtain higher chiller efficiency.
reset, condenser water: The practice of decreasing condenser water tempera-
ture to obtain higher chiller efficiency.
rightsizing: The process of correctly sizing equipment to the peak load.
roof curb: A raised and reinforced area on a roof for mounting equipment.
rooftop unit: Air-handling equipment such as packaged units located on the
roof.
scaling: See fouling.
schedule: A control sequence that turns equipment on and off.
seasonal energy-efficiency ratio (SEER): A measure of seasonal or annual
efficiency of a central air conditioner or air conditioning heat pump. It takes into
account the variations in temperature that can occur within a season and is the
average number of Btu of cooling delivered for every watt-hour of electricity
used by the heat pump over a cooling season.
SEER: See seasonal energy-efficiency ratio.
setpoint: Desired temperature, humidity, or pressure in a space, duct, etc.
sheave: (Pronounced shiv.) Pulley.
space: The distinct area to which conditioned air is delivered.
steam trap: A device that separates air and condensed water from steam.
strainer screen: A filtering device used in water side systems to protect equip-
ment from dirt, rust, and other particles.
sulfur dioxide (SO^: A heavy, colorless, pungent air pollutant formed primarily
by the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal. It is a respiratory irritant and a
precursor to the formation of acid rain.
TAB: See testing, adjusting, and balancing.
testing, adjusting, and balancing (TAB): The process of adjusting HVAC system
components to supply air and water flows at design or revised specifications.
thermostat: A device that responds to temperature changes and controls equip-
ment by seeking a setpoint accordingly.
tlmeclock: The control device used to turn equipment on and off at set times of
the day.
Putting Energy Into Stewardship 93
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Supporting Material,
ton: A unit of cooling capacity equal to 12,000 Btu/hr.
transformer: A device that reduces the incoming line voltage, usually to a stan-
dard level, so that it may be used to operate electrical equipment in a building.
tubes, condenser: Heat exchanger tubes through which condenser water is
pumped to allow heat transfer between the condenser water and the refrigerant.
tubes, evaporator: Heat exchanger tubes through which chilled water is pumped
to allow heat transfer between the chilled water and the refrigerant.
tune-up, building: The purposeful sequence of maintenance and operational
improvements, undertaken at a specific point in time, designed to reduce energy
use, heating loads, and cooling loads of existing facilities.
variable air volume (VAV): A type of air-handling system that maintains comfort
in a building by varying the quantity of air supplied through the building.
variable-speed drive (VSD): A device used to adjust the speed of an air-condi-
tioner motor to match load requirements.
VAV: See variable air volume.
VCP: See visual comfort probability.
visual comfort probability (VCP): A rating given to lighting systems expressed
as the percentage of people who will be expected to find it acceptable in terms of
glare discomfort.
volts, voltage: The international system unit of electric potential and electromo-
tive force.
VSD: See variable-speed drive.
W/sf: Watts per square foot.
water side systems: Equipment used to heat, cool, and transport water to
building HVAC systems.
94 Putting Energy Into Stewardship
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Energy-Efficiency Quicklist
This guide recommends a lot of different energy upgrades. Where should you start? First walk
through your congregational facilities with this Quicklist in hand and use it to identify money-
saving opportunities.Then post the Quicklist on your wall and check off items as you perform
upgrades to keep track of your progress.
Lighting
Q Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps
Q Convert exterior lighting to high-pressure sodium or metal halide lighting
Q Upgrade fluorescent fixtures with T-8 fluorescent lamps and electronic ballasts
Q Remove or disconnect unnecessary lights
Q Convert exit signs to LED
Q Lower light levels where appropriate, such as around computer monitors
Q Install occupancy sensors in areas, such as bathrooms, that are frequently unoccupied
Q Install timers or photocells on outside lights
Water Use And Water Heating
Q Install a water heater insulating blanket and wrap the first 3 to 6 feet of hot water supply
pipe with pipe insulation
| | Install faucet aerators and efficient showerheads
I I Select native or other low-water plants for landscaping
| | Find and fix leaks
Refrigeration
Q Repair doors and seals so they close tightly
I I Make sure fans and equipment are not obstructed
|_J Combine refrigerated goods and disconnect unneeded refrigerators
Building
[_J Install weather stripping, caulking, or seals on openings that create drafts
I I Add or repair insulation to create a continuous blanket around building
Heating And Cooling Systems
[]] Clean and replace filters regularly
Q Set back your heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems when the
building is unoccupied. This includes setting the fans to "auto" rather than "on"
Q Repair leaks in system components such as pipes, steam traps, and couplings
Q Make sure radiators, converters, air intakes, and air diffusers are not obstructed so
that air can flow freely
[~] Reduce your water heater settings to the minimum required temperature
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ENERGY STAR Shopping List For Congregations
Buying or leasing a building with these preferred technologies can lower your operating costs. Use
this list when walking through a prospective building. Call I-888-STAR-YES if you have any questions.
Yes No
Yes No
Lighting
Heating
General T-8 Fluorescent Lamps
Compact Fluorescent Lamps
Occupancy Sensors
LED Exit Signs
Low-Glare Daylight
Warehouse High-Pressure Sodium (HPS)
Or Metal Halide (MH)
Lighting
Retail Halogen
Office Light Level Below 75 Foot-
candles
Deep-Cell Parabolic Fixtures
Exterior HPS Or MH
Photocells or Timers
Cooling
HotWater
Building
Insulated Pipes
Water Heater Insulating
Blanket
Faucet Aerators
Efficient Showerheads
Solar Hot Water
Low-E Windows
Awn ings To Block
Summer Sun
Window Rim
Roof Insulation
Wall Insulation
Tight-Closing Doors/
Windows
Reflective Roof
Operable Windows
Heating And Cooling Distribution
inches
inches
Energy Management System
Programmable
Thermostats
Variable-Speed Drives
Energy-Efficient Motors
High-Efficiency Gas Furnace
Pulse Combustion Boiler
High-Efficiency Heat Pump
Insulated Pipes/Ducts
Ducts All Inside Building
Envelope
Electronic Ignition
(No Pilot Light)
Newer High-Efficiency
Cooling Units
Economizers/Tree Cooling"
Coils Clean And Free of
Moisture
Locker Room
Access To Bike Path
Subway Or Bus Nearby
Xeriscaping
Lease That Rewards Efficiency.
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