Success Story: Georgetown Gospel Chapel

Partner Information

Georgetown Gospel Chapel, Seattle, Washington
20,000 Sq. Feet
Annual Cash Savings: $5,000
Annual Energy savings: 50,000 kWh
Payback period: 3 years
Prevented 60,000 pounds of pollution

Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

The Georgetown Gospel Chapel in South Seattle has a lot to be proud of. Over the past 5 years, thoughtful energy-efficiency projects have resulted in thousands of dollars of much needed savings — savings that help support day-to-day operations as well as the Chapel’s benevolent missions and community gardens.

Goodbye High Heating Bills

“We hardly have to turn on our heaters anymore,” says Reverend Leroy Hedman, referring to a successful project that added new windows and insulation to help seal up the Chapel and parsonage. Correct insulation levels — combined with energy-efficient windows — was a great way to keep the cold Seattle weather out and the money savings in! Now the warmth inside the Chapel is not only from the happy souls of the congregation, but also from the conserved heat that has been saved by their efforts.

Peace And Clarity Through Illumination

The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is proud to say that it makes every effort not to use incandescent “so-called” lighting. (Only 5 percent of the electricity that is supplied to an incandescent bulb is actually used for lighting — the rest is wasted energy.) Instead, the Chapel employs the use of controlled compact and tubular fluorescent bulbs to light up the congregation. These fluorescent technologies provide ideal lighting at a fraction of the operating costs of the old wasteful incandescent. Now that’s a smart move!

Water — A Most Precious Resource

The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is very conscientious about water use in its facilities, which also saves energy. For that reason, it installed new efficient showerheads, water piping, baths, sprinklers, and low-gallon-per-flush toilets. The Chapel is also planning to implement exciting solar technology to facilitate the parsonage’s hot water needs. Reverend Hedman estimates saving 100,000 gallons of water per year because of these efforts.

Don’t Forget Labor and Safety

We must not forget that beyond energy and cost savings, energy efficiency also provides labor, safety, and insurance benefits. Energy-efficient technologies usually last longer than traditional equipment, which results in fewer change-outs. The Georgetown Gospel Chapel, like many other congregations, has lighting fixtures that are very high and difficult to get at. The less often someone in your congregation has to climb a ladder, the better!

Stewardship Pays

The Georgetown Gospel Chapel is doing its part to protect natural resources while reducing the momentum of climate change. The chapel showed the way by implementing a comprehensive upgrade including lighting, insulation, heating, cooling, windows, appliances, and water measures. By establishing a foundation and remaining dedicated to energy efficiency, the Georgetown Gospel Chapel will reap the rewards of energy efficiency for many years to come. Savings each year are estimated at approximately $3,000 to $5,000, not to mention the prevention of 60,000 pounds of CO2.

“We completely eliminated one gas furnace due to our conservation and efficiency practices and greatly reduced electrical heating in the parsonage.”
Reverend Leroy Hedman
Georgetown Gospel Chapel

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