Business & Tech

Episcopal Church of the Annunciation 'Goes Green'

The Northeast Cobb church has used nonprofit Georgia Interfaith Power & Light to analyze its energy use and make improvements.

The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation in Northeast Cobb is saving energy and money in its buildings by going green.

A dynamic nonprofit—Georgia Interfaith Power & Light—has funding to help other congregations of any religion analyze their energy use and give grants to make similar improvements.

The church's previous lights burned 200 watts per light. The new LED lights it has installed burn only 12 watts each. The church, at 1673 Jamerson Rd., switched from approximately 2,400 watts total to only 156 watts, the Rev. Paul McCabe said.

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A wall-mounted air conditioning and heating unit was installed in the church's meeting room so that one room is cooled and heated instead of the whole building.

"We have reduced our costs a small amount, which may not seem much, but we have doubled the use of the buildings involved, and over a long period of time it will make a change," McCabe said.

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“Every congregation we have ever worked with is spending too much on gas and electricity,” said Alexis Chase, the executive director of Georgia Interfaith Power & Light. "Episcopal Church of the Annunciation wanted to change that. They received a GIPL matching grant for $3,984 to upgrade their lighting and HVAC system to more energy-efficient models in 2009. They are seeing results."

Thanks to GIPL’s statewide program Power Wise, $600,000 is available to run and fund the project. No other nonprofit in the country offers congregations of every faith this innovative way to reduce their energy use.


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