Heating and Cooling Energy Considerations

Joseph R. Miller

a. Install a more efficient heating or cooling system.

b. Repair the zone valves on the existing system, so that
the windows do not have to be opened because of the excessive heat in the
room.

c. Teach people to keep the doors and windows closed when heating and cooling systems are operating.

d. Plan zoned systems in the church facility so that only the occupied area is brought to the comfortable temperature.

e. Use separate individual forced air units for each zone, rather than a central system. The initial installation costs less, and the operational cost are usually less with forced air, especially when both air conditioning and heating are involved. The heating recovery time for bring a room to the comfortable temperature with a hot water system often consumes the savings of this system, especially with older, inefficient boilers.

f. Set thermostats at the comfort level only when the room is occupied. With forced air systems, you can adjust the thermostats much later and still have the room at a comfortable temperature when the meeting starts. Use computerized or timed thermostats.

g. Lock the thermostats; delegate the responsibility to a trained operator who does not turn the thermostat to 90 degrees for heating, or 55 degrees for cooling.

h. Insulate. Many older church buildings (prior to the 70s) have little or no insulation. Replace single pane windows with thermopane units.

i. Construct your new facility with high energy efficiency. We can get an R-value of 35 with the newly developed insulated panel construction system that costs less to construct than frame construction while meeting all building code requirements. Some calculations indicate a 50 percent energy savings.