(via ENERGY STAR Congregations Network E-Update)
This year, four congregations deserve congratulations and the spotlight for earning a 2009 ENERGY STAR Congregations Award in the annual nationwide competition. Winners are recognized for doing their part to save energy and fight climate change through effective energy management practices and innovative efficiency solutions.
Together, these award winning organizations reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from the average electricity use of nearly 1000 homes for one year and saved more than $700,000 in annual energy costs.
This year's winners shared some common activities such as their use of EPA's free energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager to track their energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions, set targets for investment priorities, and verify efficiency improvements. Congregations now can use Portfolio Manager to receive an energy performance rating, and the most energy efficient among them can earn the ENERGY STAR label.
Winners also relied on the ENERGY STAR Congregations Guide "Putting Energy Into Stewardship." The guide can help launch a congregation on the road to energy savings with Sure Savers and other features.
Read on for brief profiles of this year's winners. Complete profiles can be viewed on the ENERGY STAR congregations web page.
2009 Winners List
- The First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX (Dallas, TX)
- First Baptist Church of Springdale and Shiloh Christian School (Springdale, AR)
- Idlewild Baptist Church (Lutz, FL)
- Swarthmore Presbyterian Church (Swarthmore, PA)