POWER-WISE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: How do I request a Power Wise Energy Audit?
A: Enrolling in Power Wise can be done online. Click here to sign up for the program and to access enrollment forms. You can always contact us at info@gipl.org.
Q: Why do you need 13 months of our past electric and natural gas energy bills before my congregation can receive a Power Wise Energy Audit?
A: The most recent 13 months of energy data that you send us before scheduling your Energy Audit will allow our professional energy auditor to calculate your baseline energy usage. They will also be able to analyze the efficiency of your heating and cooling system before arriving on site. Later, if you continue to track your energy use, your baseline will help you see how the energy improvements you make to your facilities are decreasing your energy usage.
Q: Why do I have to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)?
A: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a good-faith agreement between your congregation and GIPL. It is not, however, a legally binding document. This document details what is expected of each party when your congregation signs up for Power Wise, including how much your congregation has agreed to pay for the Energy Audit and what GIPL will provide in return.
Q: Where do I send my completed MOU?
A: Completed forms should be scanned and emailed to nadia@gipl.org OR mailed to: Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, Attn: Nadia Smith, 701 S. Columbia Drive, Campus Box 326, Decatur, GA 30030.
Q: How long does it take to schedule my Energy Audit?
A: Once we have received all the requested information, including the congregational background sheet, the MOU, and the past 13 months of your congregation’s natural gas and electric bills, a Power Wise Energy Audit can be scheduled in about a week or two. Regions along the coast or southern Georgia may take longer since we try to obtain at least four energy audits in the region before sending the auditor. This saves on travel costs and reduces our environmental impact.
Q: Who needs to attend the Energy Audit?
A: It is important that one or more persons who have access to all areas of the buildings and are familiar with the history of your congregation be present at the audit, for example, a facilities manager. Other interested congregation members are also welcome to come along on the Energy Audit. Some congregations have made the walk-through energy audit a learning opportunity for their leadership, green teams, and youth classes.
Q: What materials need to be available at the energy audit?
A: The most important document that should be available at the audit is a blueprint of your facilities. They make it easier to determine the correct number of lighting fixtures throughout the facility. The blueprints also provide useful information on other relevant structures. The blueprints are very helpful to the auditor for obtaining accurate square footage figures. The square footage is critical in determining kWh of electricity and therms of natural gas use per square foot. These ratios serve as useful benchmarks in estimating your overall energy use and efficiency. You may send scanned copies of these documents in advance to nadia@gipl.org
Q: How long does the Energy Audit take?
A: Generally, the on-site portion of the Energy Audit will be completed in two hours and consists of an evaluation of your attic and insulation, lighting needs and upgrades, heating and cooling unit operation and efficiency, and other items requested by the leadership.
Q: Who performs the Power Wise Energy Audits?
A: Our audits are performed by certified engineers. You may meet our current engineers HERE.
GIPL also continues to evaluate new engineers qualified to perform low-cost energy audits across Georgia. If you are interested in working with GIPL to provide Green Teams with high-quality audits of their facilities, please email nadia@gipl.org.
ALL ABOUT MONEY
Q: How much does a Power Wise Energy Audit cost?
A: The cost for an audit ranges from $300 to $1,000 depending upon your congregation's budget:
$300: Congregational Budget is less than $250,000
$400: Congregational Budget is $250,000 - $750,000
$500: Congregational Budget is $750,000 - $1,500,000
$1,000: Congregational Budget is greater than $1,500,000
Q: What is Pay It Forward (PIF) Contribution?
A: The Pay-It-Forward (PIF) Contribution is a means to sustain Power Wise. GIPL pays $1,000 for each Energy Audit, but we are able to offer this service to congregations for only $300 – $500 because our funding organizations and contributions from our partners subsidize the remaining amount.
We ask that your congregation contribute to GIPL, an amount equal to the cost of your audit ($300 – $500) one time, in addition to the cost of your audit, one year after your audit is completed. There are over 15,000 communities of faith in Georgia that could use an Energy Audit, and our hope is that you will help continue this program through your PIF contribution.
Q: When will I be billed for PIF?
A: Your congregation will receive your first PIF invoice 15 months after you receive your Energy Audit Report or you can contribute to GIPL annually as a portion of your congregation’s stewardship giving.
AFTER THE AUDIT
Q: Can I apply for a Power Wise Energy Efficiency Grant after receiving a Power Wise Energy Audit?
A: The Power Wise Energy Audit serves as a “roadmap” to help you identify energy efficiency opportunities along with their associated implementation costs and annual energy savings. GIPL’s Power Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grants (1:1 funding up to $7,000) are the most effective means for receiving funding to assist you in implementing the Energy Conservation Measures in your audit report.
Power Wise Energy Audits can be completed at any time throughout the year, but there is only one Power Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grant cycle each year. Applications are due November 15 of each year. Requests must be for Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) identified in your energy audit report. Exceptions for other projects are rare, and the applicant must provide detailed justification. Decisions by the Grants Committee will be made within six weeks after the application deadline. Click here for additional information about the Power Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grant Program.
Please note that audits completed in 2014 or earlier need to be redone in order to apply for a GIPL matching grant.
Q: Are there other resources available?
A: Once you have completed the Power Wise Energy Audit, your congregation should consider forming a Green Team to continue incorporating sustainability practices into the life of your congregation. GIPL offers Water, Solar, and Zero-Waste programs to assist with this process. Follow links to learn more.
GIPL also offers classes in creation care theology, environmental justice, policy and advocacy, and more. Read about all our workshops HERE.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@gipl.org.
Power-Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grant Frequently Asked Questions
Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL) is pleased to offer Power-Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grants to help member congregations in reducing their carbon footprints. Matching Grants are made possible through the support of The Kendeda Fund.
There is only one Power-Wise Matching Grant cycle each year. Applications open on May. 15 and are due Aug. 15 of each year. Decisions will be made within six weeks of the application deadline. Power-Wise Matching Grant applications must be submitted online through the form provided.
Matching Grant Requirements
Power-Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grants are available for amounts up to $7,000. Recipients are required to make an equal match of money received. For example, a congregation that receives a Matching Grant of $3,500 must contribute $3,500 to the cost of the improvement.
Sources of matching funds might include environmental stewardship funds, capital improvement funds, building funds, tithes, loans, or in-kind services. Congregations are required to provide proof in their application that they will be able to make a one-for-one match of the total grant amount.
All Matching Grant funds must be used for the authorized project(s) within one year of the grant award. Recipients will also submit a follow-up report one year after the project(s) are completed. This should include a financial accounting of the grant, initial results of the work, and any environmental stewardship commitments or Green Team programs completed by your congregation.
Qualified Projects
Any congregation or faith-based community (including faith-based schools) that has received a Power-Wise Energy Audit in the past five (5) years is eligible to apply for a Matching Grant. Congregations are encouraged to apply for funds to implement the Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) suggested in their Energy Audit Reports.
Please note that any request deviating from the Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) listed in your Power-Wise Energy Audit must be justified with specific, detailed information comparable to the ECM relating to annual energy and dollar savings, implementation costs, and payback.
In general, applications that demonstrate greater energy savings for the money requested will be favored. We also suggest that congregations pursue low-cost, quick payback improvements initially. Completed projects will only be funded if they are recommended for the congregation in the energy audit report and were completed within the one year preceding the application date.
Energy Conservation Measures eligible for Matching Grants may include, but are not limited to:
Lighting Upgrades: Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFL), cold cathode, metal halide, or light-emitting diode (LED) lamps; replacing or retrofitting exit signs with LED equivalents; or retrofitting T-12 or T-8 fluorescent light fixtures with LED fixtures.
Energy Management Systems: Installing motion or light detectors on light switches, programmable thermostats, or direct digital controls.
You can also apply for a Matching Grant to fund the difference between a low-efficiency (SEER 13) and the new high-efficiency (SEER 15) HVAC system, but GIPL does not fund HVAC system replacements.
GIPL also does not fund purchasing energy efficiency equipment, such as Energy Star® kitchen appliances. However, you can apply for a Matching Grant to fund the difference between a normal appliance and an Energy Star® rated appliance.
Insulation Improvements: Sealing ducts, adding or increasing insulation, or sealing leaks in the building envelope.
Higher-cost, slower-payback improvements may also qualify for funding if the need and benefit of such improvements can be demonstrated. Such improvements may include, but are not limited to:
Installing solar-powered appliances such as solar hot water heaters. A Solar Loan Fund is available for installing photovoltaic panels and solar water heaters that replace electric water heaters. For more information, contact Hannah Shultz at hannah@gipl.org or visit https://gipl.org/solar-wise.
Selected green building measures in new construction that increase energy efficiency
Grants cannot be used to pay down a loan or interest on a loan.
Criteria for Judging Applications
Applications will be judged and scored by the following criteria:
Projected energy savings
Congregation's ability to financially support the project
Evidence of congregational involvement and dedication to sustainability and care for the environment as a core faith tenant. Congregations must have a registered Green Team, or plan to start a Green Team in the next six (6) months.
Priority will be given to congregations located in low-income communities and communities historically overburdened by pollution. To check and see if your congregation is in one of these areas, please use the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool.
GIPL’s Power-Wise Grant Committee determines grant awards. Committee members with any financial connection or other affiliation with any applicant will abstain from considering that application.
To apply for a Power-Wise Energy Efficiency Matching Grant, please fill out and submit the Matching Grant Application, which is on our website at https://gipl.org/power-wise.
If you have any questions, please contact GIPL's Program Associate, Nadia Smith, at nadia@gipl.org.