First Congregational Church of Oshkosh
Uses CCT Grants and Focus on Energy to Reduce Energy Use
In the summer of 2024, Focus on Energy conducted an energy review of our building. One of their recommendations was to replace fluorescent tubes in second floor classrooms with more energy efficient LED lamps. During this project, old fluorescent tubes were replaced with LED lamps in six classrooms. A total of 58 lamp fixtures with almost 120 LED lamps were upgraded during the month of April. A decision was made to delay replacement of an old fixture in a back stairway with an LED lamp.
The electrician’s bill for replacement of lamps in the six classrooms was $1495.00. In addition to the $500.00 from the Wisconsin Conference UCC Creation Care grant, First Congregational Church received a check of $290.00 from Focus on Energy as an incentive for the LED lamps. The remaining $705.00 came from funds received from Focus on Energy for our participation in their Practical Energy Management (PEM) program which required the church to track its energy use with the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. $495 from the PEM program participation is still available for future energy efficiency projects without any specific project requirements. Additional donations from church members gives First Congregational Church a total of $1329.90 still available for energy efficiency projects. The building manager and the Building and Grounds Ministry group were instrumental in getting this project done. The Green Team was important in meeting the requirements of the Practical Energy Management program, and continues to input data into the Energy Star Portfolio Manager. There were no extra costs for this project. Focus on Energy and the Wisconsin Conference UCC Creation Care Grant program have been great partners for this project. We recommend that other churches take advantage of the help from both programs.
Prior to this spring, the second floor classrooms were mostly used for a couple of hours on Sundays. In March, the Northeast Wisconsin Rainbow Alliance started using one of the rooms for about 10 hours per week. On May 1st, Alcoholic Anonymous started using one of the larger second floor classrooms for around 10-15 hours per week. In addition, rooms were redecorated for use by the children and youth of our church. First Congregational Church is glad to provide space with energy efficient lighting.
On Earth Sunday, April 27, the Green Team helped First Congregational Church celebrate its creation care efforts. Since 2018, First Congregational Church has installed solar panels, replaced inefficient lighting with LEDs and replaced an aging boiler with a high efficiency boiler. Other creation care efforts include recycling, participating in the Adopt-A-Highway program, planting gardens and trees, and reducing waste whenever we gather to eat. The celebration included a creation care sermon, a mission moment, providing children with a kit for starting native plants, a creation care bulletin board display, and a fellowship hour. Overall, the congregation has responded positively to the creation care projects. The Wisconsin Conference UCC Creation Care Grant program has supported our efforts with three separate grants, which we greatly appreciate. 