Caleb Anderson: This project was led by our small rural Lutheran church. The church operates two buildings: Salem Lutheran Church and the neighboring old school that we use as a community center. Both facilities were fully lit by 202 incandescent bulbs and 4 foot fluorescent tubes. An energy audit completed through the local utility, Minnesota Power, forecast that the lighting upgrade would reduce the church’s electricity bill by approximately 45%. The beauty of this project was that it was by all measures a community project in a community space, which lent to significant transferability to church members’ homes and businesses as well as other congregations.
How did you share the project with your church community and beyond?
Caleb Anderson: The Church Council supported the project and made financial commitments on the church’s behalf. People in church were made aware of the project and its purpose. The same was true for people who read the press release in the local newspaper.
Any advice for others doing a similar project?
Caleb Anderson: There were four individuals involved in installation of the project. All of the screw in bulbs were installed with congregation volunteers and all of the 4 foot linear bulb replacements were made by a local electrical contractor. This worked well and was a nice way to keep costs down.
What’s next for your project?
Caleb Anderson: Our energy audit evaluated the cost of increasing insulation in the community center. This may be a good next step. The success of the project will be transferable to the homes and buildings of church members and others in the community, as well.
