7 Ways for Places of Worship to Reduce Energy Costs
February 4, 2025
Places of worship are as diverse as the congregations that gather in them. Churches, synagogues, and mosques come in different sizes and styles, and they were built in different eras. They weren’t often built with energy efficiency in mind.
There are many opportunities to save energy at your place of worship. With lower operating costs, your congregation will have more funds to fulfill its mission. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Take a holistic approach
A church, synagogue, or mosque is a lot more than just a building. It's a community. It's also more than a building in the literal sense: Many places of worship have multiple buildings including a parsonage, a school, or maybe even a whole campus. When choosing your energy efficiency goals, it's valuable to take a big-picture approach. You might prioritize certain buildings or try to tackle a specific issue in each building. However you go about it, remember that each space is unique. You might have several kinds of HVAC systems, a variety of historical windows and doors, and other factors that will impact the specific efficiency options for each area. Efficiency Smart can help you determine cost-effective options.
Create an HVAC maintenance plan
Many places of worship have a long history of renovations and additions. There are potentially newer parts of the building and older parts of the building, each with its own HVAC system. This can work to your advantage, because it creates natural "zones" for different levels of heating setbacks. Take an inventory of your HVAC equipment and plan for regular maintenance of each unit. When it comes time to replace a unit, you can look for high-efficiency options.
Air conditioning can be a little trickier in an old building like a church. It can be expensive and impractical to add central air conditioning. Ductless heat pumps are typically easiest. If you have a manual heating system, just make sure you're not accidentally heating and cooling simultaneously.
Switch to LEDs where possible
Your place of worship might have architectural-style lighting. Replacing those specialty bulbs can be expensive, in addition to the hassle of climbing up to access them. If possible, switch to LEDs. The payback is twofold: You'll use a lot less electricity, and since LEDs can last up to four times longer than traditional bulbs, you'll reduce the number of trips up the ladder. If you have spotlights at the front of the sanctuary, replacing those with LEDs will keep the people up front cooler.
Review your lighting in hallways and offices for opportunities to upgrade. Don't forget the exterior lighting as well. You can install LEDs in the parking lot, and if your building has exterior spotlights, make sure those are LEDs, too.
Efficiency Smart can provide incentives for qualifying LED upgrades to help you save even more.
Utilize temperature and light setbacks
Temperature and light setbacks are one of the easiest ways for churches, synagogues, and mosques to save money on electricity. The sanctuary is occupied intermittently, making it a great candidate for a pre-programmed lighting and heating schedule. It will be nice and cozy during services without wasting heat during the rest of the week. For spaces like offices, classrooms, and restrooms, you can install occupancy sensors that automatically turn off the lights when the space is unoccupied.
Weatherize the leaky spots
Many churches, synagogues, and mosques are historic buildings that have been unevenly insulated over the years. It might not make sense to do a large-scale weatherization project, but you can patch up the leakiest places. If you have a belltower, that's a great place to start. First, make sure the door or hatch is only open when the belltower is in use. Then, you can add a foam board to the doorway or hatch, and add weatherstripping around the edges for additional insulation. Next, see if the building's windows are letting cold air inside, and consider adding weather stripping to seal off the gaps.
Draw on your congregation's skills
Maintaining your building can be a lot of work, but you probably have some hidden talent in your congregation. Just as you have a hospitality committee or a mission committee, consider a facilities committee that can help with efficiency projects. Members might enjoy volunteering their time and skills to help with electrical upgrades, HVAC maintenance, and more. In addition to volunteer support, you can ask your custodial staff to turn off lights that are accidentally left on overnight, and to report any parts of the building that are especially drafty.
Make it easy for guests to be efficient
Does your place of worship rent out space to other organizations like a daycare or a group meeting? Those people can help with your efficiency goals. You can make it easy by providing a checklist of things to do before they leave, like turning off the lights, turning down the heat, and pulling down the shades. You can also install smart power strips for spaces with a lot of electronics, like a recreational room.
The kitchen is another place that might be hogging a lot of energy. You might be using donated appliances that are old and inefficient. When possible, replace failing equipment with ENERGY-STAR certified models. You'll save a good chunk of energy, and qualifying models are eligible for Efficiency Smart’s incentives. Your hospitality committee will also appreciate the upgrade so they can better serve the congregation.
See more tips for your kitchen
Want more information?
Efficiency Smart is your energy efficiency partner from start to finish. We can work with your place of worship to provide customized recommendations based on your goals. We also provide financial incentives on qualifying projects.
Contact your local account manager or our customer support team at (877) 889-3777 or [email protected] to get started.