LEARN  MORE AT
                 energystar.gov
   ENERGY STAR®, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
   program, helps us all save money and protect our environment
   through energy efficient products and practices. For more
   information, visit www.energystar.gov.
ENERGY STAR Congregations
Energy  Performance  Rating
for Your Worship  Facility
Improved Stewardship of Energy, Money and
the Environment with ENERGY STAR

Did you know that a building can earn the ENERGY STAR label
just like your office equipment can? An ENERGY STAR labeled
facility meets strict energy  performance standards set by EPA
and uses less energy, is  less expensive to operate, and causes
fewer greenhouse  gas emissions than a  non-qualified facility.
The nation's estimated 370,000 houses of worship spend more
than $3 billion on energy  each  year—to help counter  these
costs, ENERGY STAR Congregations helps  worship facilities
improve their facility performance while reducing energy costs.

If America's houses of worship cut energy use by 10 percent:

    •   About  $315  million would be  saved for congregations'
       missions and other priorities.

    •   Nearly 2 billion  kWh of  electricity would  be available
       without additional cost and pollution.

    •   About  1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions would
       be prevented.

Actual savings  of about  30% are typically possible. More than
2,500 users have  benchmarked over  90,000 buildings over a
decade to  save energy,  money  and  reduce greenhouse  gas
emissions. To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a  building  must
score in the top 25  percent based  on EPA's National Energy
Performance Rating System. To determine the performance of a
facility,  EPA's  Portfolio  Manager tool compares  energy  use
among  other, similar types of facilities on a  scale  of 1-100;
buildings that achieve a score of 75 or  higher are eligible for the
ENERGY  STAR.  An ENERGY STAR labeled worship facility
typically uses  30%  less energy than an average  house of
worship. The EPA rating system accounts  for differences in
operating conditions,  regional weather data, and other important
considerations.

All data must be verified by a licensed Professional  Engineer,
and the rating  also verifies  compliance with the  standards for
indoor air quality and  thermal comfort of the American Society of
Heating,   Refrigerating    and   Air-Conditioning   Engineers
(ASHRAE). The rating also means that facility lighting standards
meet the  recommendations  of  the  Illuminating  Engineering
Society of North America  (IESNA).
Developing a
National Energy
Performance Rating For Religious
Worship Facilities

The Environmental  Protection Agency  has expanded
the  National Energy Performance  Rating  system  to
worship facilities based on the Department of Energy's
Energy most  2003 Commercial  Buildings   Energy
Consumption Survey (CBECS).  EPA's detailed analysis
of the 2003 CBECS data identified significant drivers of
energy use in worship facilities.  These  variables were
evaluated  and  incorporated  into  a  free, online rating
model that standardizes energy use  in worship facilities
allowing objective,  "weather-normalized" comparisons
across different building types and locations nationwide,
or by state, city or organization.

More importantly, the rating helps individual managers
to accurately assess the energy performance  of their
buildings; make more informed  budgetary,  investment
and management decisions.  Ultimately enabling them
to  calculate and  communicate their  environmental
stewardship achievements to congregational clergy and
members, as well as the larger community.
      Free Information Webinars


   Benchmarking your House of Worship

  WHEN:   Monthly; large groups upon request.

  WHERE: Online registration at:
         httpsV/energvstar.webex.com/training

  WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
  Persons responsible for facility energy decisions.

  OBJECTIVE:
  To learn how Portfolio Manager functions and can be
  used by worship facility managers to track energy
  performance, costs and savings from improvements in
  operation, maintenance and equipment.

  DESCRIPTION:
  This training is to provide users a step-by-step guide to
  using Portfolio Manager to benchmark current energy
  use; track savings; share their data with master
  accounts; enter upgrades; and understand the outputs
  shown on the Statement of Energy Performance.
    Visit www.enerpystar.pov/conprepations for more information on ENERGY STAR
                                  resources and recognition.

-------
Frequently Asked Questions
1.   To what types of facilities does the new worship facility
    model apply?
    This  model applies to  buildings that are used as  places of
    worship.    This   includes  churches,   temples,   mosques,
    synagogues,  meeting  houses, or  any  other buildings  that
    primarily functions as a house of worship.  The rating applies to
    buildings that function as the primary place of worship and not
    to  other  buildings that may be associated with a  religious
    organization,  such as  living quarters, schools,  or  buildings
    used  primarily  for other community activities.   The rating
    applies to facilities that have 4,000 seats or fewer.

2.   Can  my  worship facility  earn the ENERGY STAR Label?
    Yes.  This model  of Portfolio  Manager  now allows worship
    facilities to earn EPA energy performance ratings. Owners and
    operators of such  facilities are encouraged to  enter the as-
    billed  energy  consumption for  a 12-month period  along with
    data for key operating characteristics into Portfolio Manager in
    order  to  receive  the initial 1-100  rating. To qualify for the
    ENERGY STAR label, a facility must achieve a rating of 75 or
    higher. Please  see the Criteria for Rating Building Energy
    Performance to see  additional  requirements to apply for the
    ENERGY STAR.

3.   My worship area has high, vaulted ceilings. How does the
    model account for this?
    The model for worship facilities is based on an analysis of the
    Department   of  Energy's  Commercial  Building   Energy
    Consumption  Survey (CBECS) which  includes a national
    sample of worship facilities. Most such  facilities  have some
    areas with  high  or vaulted ceilings.  Therefore,  by using a
    nationally representative dataset, the tool  is able to account for
    a variety of common  operating  and physical characteristics at
    these  facilities and incorporate these considerations into the
    development  of the  model. Worship facilities are compared
    with other worship facilities, so the population of comparison
    also has high or vaulted ceilings and no adjustment is needed.

4.   My worship  facility  has  equipment  has  very  energy
    intensive audio visual equipment. How does the model
    account  for the energy consumption  of this  equipment?
    The worship facility model includes  a national sample of similar
    facilities.  The model  accounts for  a  variety  of  common
    operating  and  physical characteristics.    Worship  facilities
    typically have some type of audiovisual equipment and this is
    accounted for in the model. For those facilities with extensive
    audio    visual   capabilities   (e.g.   for  internet/television
    broadcasting) their energy use  per square foot will  be  higher
    than those without these types of systems.

5.   I have been using Portfolio Manager to benchmark energy
    and water consumption at my facility  prior to the release
    of the worship facility model. How can I transfer my data
    into the  new model without losing all  of my information?
    When the new worship facility model "went live" online, all
    users  who  had  previously benchmarked energy  and water
    consumption for their facilities  in Portfolio Manager for a 12-
    month  period  were  automatically  converted into  the new
    ratable category.  The new automatic rating will be based on
    information that users have already entered (e.g.  square foot
    and hours of operation), in addition to standard default values
    for new  inputs  that  are required  for a  worship  rating (e.g.
    seating  capacity).    You  will  have to  enter your  Portfolio
    Manager account and replace the default values with accurate
    numbers for your facility to receive the most accurate rating.

6.   How do I determine what the seating capacity is for my
    worship?
    The seating capacity should reflect the maximum total seating
    allowed by the fire/building code in the main worship area(s).  If
    there are multiple seating configurations, add them up.  This
    number should reflect  permanent seating  capacity as the
    facility is typically used.  Note that if there is no fixed seating at
    this type of worship facility, this  number  should  reflect the
    number of worshipers than can be accommodated in the main
    worship area(s).  A pew generally provides "one seat" per 18-
    24 inches in length.

7.   Why doesn't the  tool  ask  about  my  heating and air
    conditioning system?
    The tool accounts for your heating and cooling demand  based
    on the  actual heating and cooling degree days related to your
    zip code.  There is  no question about this type of equipment
    since it is assumed that all house of worship have  heating and
    cooling systems.

8.   What does the rating tool do?
    The rating does:
        •   Evaluate   billed  energy  use   relative   to  building
            operations
        •   Normalize for operational characteristics (e.g., size,
            seating capacity, hours of operation, climate)
        •   Depend on a statistically representative sample of the
            US commercial building population
    The rating does not:
        •   Attempt to sum  the energy  use  of each piece of
            equipment
        •   Normalize  for  technology   choices   or   market
            conditions (e.g., type of lighting, energy price)
        •   Explain  why  a building  operates  as it does  (i.e.
            operation and maintenance, occupant behavior and/or
            equipment efficiency)

9.   Why should I  use Portfolio  Manager for  my house of
    worship?
    The tool produces a simple easy to interpret 1 tolOO rating for
    your building.  It  is an analytical tool based on unbiased
    statistical analysis of a national peer sample.  It also produces
    emissions estimates based on your utility.  The tool is updated
    periodically and draws  on  the  extensive research of several
    government agencies such as; EPA, DOE, and NOAA.

    The Portfolio  Manager tool is quickly becoming the "National
    standard" or  evaluating  building  energy efficiency with over
    90,000 buildings and 2,500 users using the tool to date.  Over
    19% of all  US commercial facilities have been  benchmarked
    using Portfolio Manager

10.  Where can I find out more about the tool?
    There is a benchmarking starter kit and additional information
    on the  estimation  process at www.enerqvstar.gov/benchmark.
    For  additional  information  on  the  ENERGY   STAR for
    Congregations program please visit:
    www.enerqvstar.gov/conqreqations.

-------