WALKERTOWN, N.C. (ABP) — Churches are becoming concerned about how the way they run their facilities affects the environment — and the energy behind that green-consciousness is coming from the inside.
In some cases, business people within the congregation have seen the economic benefits that come with energy efficiency at work. Other times, laypeople who hear news coverage about global warming take action. And sometimes, churches simply have members interested in living out the Christian mandate to have compassion for God's creation.
All that translates to more churches trying to do a better job with energy efficiency, said Bob Adams, a church consultant with the JH Batten design and building firm in Walkertown, N.C.
Adams, who for 23 years served on church staffs in Kentucky, Georgia and North Carolina, offered another reason churches are working toward a more sustainable existence: Every dollar saved through energy efficiency can be spent on other areas of ministry.
“It's really a stewardship issue,” Adams said.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, churches can reduce energy costs by up to 30 percent by investing in efficient equipment, upgrades and routine maintenance.
And fortunately for cash-strapped congregations, the cost of creating energy-efficient churches has gone down as eco-friendly construction gains a larger foothold in commercial building.
While he admits that initial construction costs are slightly higher for green buildings, Adams tells clients to take a far-reaching look.
“Churches are notorious for thinking about the initial costs and forgetting about the operational costs,” Adams said. “Businesses have seen the flaw in this for a long time, but churches are still drawn to lower initial costs and having to pay more in the long run.
“Also, the constant introduction of new products and technologies is bringing costs down quickly, and the payback period for recouping those costs is being reduced.”
Congregations that want to do a better job with the buildings they have should start with lighting, experts say. Simply changing fluorescent light bulbs to smaller, energy-efficient bulbs can save money.
Other actions for saving energy and reducing waste include:
— Installing motion-sensitive sensors that turn off lights after a set time.
— Replacing mechanical ballasts with electrical ballasts.
— Maintaining a regular cycle for changing filters on air-conditioning and heating units.
— Making sure toilets and water fountains are functioning properly.
— Establishing a recycling program for paper, glass, plastic and metals.
The bottom line is to use common sense, Adams says.
“Really, it's your home environment times 10,” Adams said. “The same things that we should take care of in our homes, we need to make sure are done in our churches.”
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— This is part of a series of stories about environmental responsibility.
Read more:
Energy-saving tips for congregations
It's not easy being green: Humans suffer most from environmental exploitation
Christians need ‘moral imagination' to ease global warming, Cizik says
Survey: Christians still not agreed about problem of global warming