St. Alban's Episcopal Church Honored by EPA

AwardEnergy AuditEnergy EfficiencyMatching GrantsPower Wise
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From left: Rev. Brent Owens of St. Alban's; Stan Meiburg, from EPA; Bob Donaghue & Rev. Woody Bartlett representing GIPL; Henry Slack representing EPA's Energy Star program; and Frank Roth, Creation Keeper at St. Alban's. Photo provided by St. Alban's.

On Sunday, September 26, 2010, a special ceremony was held at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Monroe to award them with one of only five 2010 Energy Star® Congregation Awards given by the EPA.  Winners are recognized for fighting global warming through effective energy management practices and innovative efficiency solutions.

St Alban's Episcopal Church, a 50 year old building, received an Energy Audit from GIPL in 2008 and identified a range of  potential energy conservation measures in their Energy Audit Report. The church received Energy Improvement Matching Grants from GIPL in 2009 and 2010 to implement these recommendations.

The savings of nearly 70,000 kWh per year represents a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the CO2 emissions from the electricity use of over five homes.  “We look at all our improvements as educational for our member families,” says Rev. Brent Owens, rector of the parish. “It shows them energy-saving opportunities.  The kill-a-watt meter and expertise is available for them to use in making changes at home. We are saving approximately $150 a month on electricity alone. For a church our size, an overall saving of $1800 a year can balance a budget or help support a new program.”

The recommendations implemented at St. Alban's include:

  • HVAC system upgrades to Energy Star rated units
  • Improved insulation
  • Replaced incandescent fixtures with compact florescent lights
  • Replaced T-12 florescent lights with T-8s
  • Timers on water fountains
  • Weather stripping and caulking
  • Upgraded refrigerator and freezer units to Energy Star
  • One office was relocated to substantially reduce HVAC expenses in the newest building

GIPL was also recognized by EPA as a Energy Star® Congregation Partner for the technical and financial assistance they provided St. Alban's over the past two years to help them implement their audit recommendations.

Congratulations to St. Alban's Episcopal Church for their extraordinary achievements and the example they have set for their parishioners and other faith-based organizations within Georgia!

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