Founded in 1950, the original wood frame church building was comprised of a combination sanctuary/fellowship hall, a 2-story education wing, and a kitchen with offices and library on the ground floor. In 2000, a new sanctuary was added, increasing the size of the facility by 40%. A new gas-fired hydronic boiler system was added for the addition alongside the original steam boiler, also gas-fired. The net results of all the improvements? St. Matthew's has reduced their carbon dioxide emissions by 22%. Comparing Fall/Winter '13–'14 to Fall/Winter '14–'15 heating costs, St. Matthew's cut annual heating costs by 19%, a reduction from $10,672 to $8,667. Further conservation efforts resulted in an 8% reduction in electricity demand.
By replacing its old oil-fired steam system with high-efficiency gas boilers, new windows, and smart heating controls, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Wellesley cut heating costs by 67% and reduced carbon emissions by 188,000 pounds.
A historic 1840 church that became a catalyst for its community, cutting carbon emissions by more than 62 metric tons and energy costs by over $25,000 a year through boiler conversion, LED lighting, new windows, heat pumps, and rooftop solar.
South Church in Andover partnered with SunBug Solar to install a 52 kW rooftop solar system that now generates about 92% of the church’s electricity, saving $3,000 annually and preventing 55 tons of carbon emissions each year.
