Interfaith Coalition on Energy

Description

The Interfaith Coalition on Energy (ICE) was created in 1980 to reduce energy costs for communities of faith, enabling churches and religious institutions to fund additional human services. ICE is composed of 20 engineers, architects and clergy who provide their services to 4,200 congregations in Pennsylvania, helping to cut their collective annual energy bill by more than $1 million dollars.

Interested parishes contact ICE for an on-site energy survey that compares the parish's energy consumption with that of similar buildings, determines the parish's energy cost per square foot and offers specific recommendations to reduce energy costs.  Participants usually see their annual energy bill reduced by $1,500 annually.

In addition to a customized energy survey, ICE provides its clients with ongoing energy efficiency information through occasional publications and a regular newsletter.  In the past, newsletters have included Guidelines for the Energy Warden (ICE's term for the parish representative in charge of efficiency), the 12-Step Program for Energy Addicts and the Ten Energy Commandments, including "Thou shalt accept responsibility for lowering energy consumption," and "Thou shalt read thine own utility meters."

ICE researchers have also helped debunk the myth that significant energy can be saved by applying glaze (usually made of acrylic or polycarbonate) to stained glass windows, a common consideration among many churches.  ICE found that an Evanston, Illinois church that paid more than $7,500 to have five windows glazed will have to wait 78 years for the energy savings associated with the glazing to pay back the cost of the process.  Using a computer model, ICE can determine the payback period for similar churches in different locales: for a church located in Seattle, the payback period would be 103 years and for a church located in Phoenix, it would be 944 years.  ICE found it would be far better for churches to install thermostats set at 52 degrees during unoccupied periods. This measure would cost one-hundredth as much as glazing and would offer five times the energy savings.

Photo Description: ICE Project coordinator Andrew Rudin tests the flue gasses from a boiler. Custodian Bob Bates is in the background.

Program Highlights

• On site energy surveys are available to congregations within 60 miles of Philadelphia.
• The cost of the energy surveys is subsidized by donations and the fee is based upon a client's ability to pay.  Fees range from $400 to $1,500.

• Contact the local utility to ensure that the church facility is receiving the most beneficial rate.
• Compare data from similar buildings to determine energy conservation potential.
• Install time clocks on electric water heaters and interlocks on cooling compressors to restrict coincident demand during peak periods.
• Replace standard lamps with energy-efficient models.
• Keep the hot water heater's thermostat set no higher than 110 degrees.
• Use ceiling fans for cooling during the summer.
• Change filters in air handlers and furnaces once a year.
• Insulate hot water heaters.

Vital Statistics

Program Management/Partnerships: The Interfaith Coalition on Energy (ICE) is guided by an 18-member Advisory Board composed of representatives from the religious community, both Philadelphia's utilities, a historic preservationist, the director of the state energy center, two mechanical engineers and three local business people.  ICE members include the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the Board of Rabbis of Greater Philadelphia, the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia and the American Jewish Committee Philadelphia Chapter. Additional support comes from the Quaker church, the Lutheran church, the Baptist church, the Episcopalian church and the Federation of Jewish Agencies.

Budget: Please contact the program directly for the latest budget information.

Community Served: The members of the 4,200 local congregations served by ICE, and the beneficiaries of church programs, including low-income individuals, that have been funded through energy savings.

Measures of Success:

More than 800 buildings have been surveyed to date, with average annual energy savings in excess of $1,500 per facility.

ICE initiatives save Philadelphia churches more than $1 million annually in energy costs.

ICE has helped form similar coalitions in Buffalo, Arizona, Boston, Houston, Chicago and Cleveland.

ICE helped develop a consensus that cool interior temperatures are beneficial to pipe organs.

ICE publishes Comfort and Light, a newsletter that keeps ICE beneficiaries informed about energy-saving opportunities.

Published: May 1997
 

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