TheMinistryCafe

Green design is often associated with solar panels, wind turbines, and composting toilets, but it is important to understand that environmentally friendly design can be far more comprehensive than that. I have always been a strong advocate for environmentally sensitive design, but I also believe that the design considerations must be economically feasible with a reasonable return on investment in order for the practice to become widespread in construction. Fortunately, this is beginning to happen.  Now one of the biggest obstacles is ignorance as to what constitutes green design, and what opportunities are available. There are numerous practical opportunities for churches that can provide great savings in life-cycle costs. The following are ten that are often overlooked.

1.  One type of green building that is not often considered is reusing an existing building. Think of it as recycling on a large scale. As I looked through our portfolio of the hundreds of churches that we have worked with, I found that one of our churches that is probably the most environmentally friendly and has the greatest potential of a high score on the USGBC LEED certified scorecard, is a church that, ironically, had little intent to be environmentally friendly. The reason is that the church purchased and refurbished an existing church structure in a densely populated urban environment. For this project, points would be awarded for site selection, development density, public transportation access, parking capacity, water efficient landscaping, building reuse, and materials reuse simply for recycling an old building.

2.  Another easy and practical consideration would be using a different type or color roof in order to reduce the heat island effect. On a flat roof, using a white TPO rather than a black EPDM single-ply roof membrane will reduce both the external heat island, as well as the internal heat load for practically no additional cost.

3.  Capturing and re-harvesting the roof rainwater is another consideration. Since it is often difficult to divert and dispose of this water anyway, it could be diverted to holding tanks and could be used as gray-water for sinks, toilets, and landscape irrigation, reducing the cost to the church for potable municipal water for those uses.  This would need to be implemented during construction in order to be practical and additional costs would include storage tanks and some additional internal piping, but the return on investment would be relatively short and practical.

4.  Specify high efficiency plumbing fixtures and waterless urinals. Water closets, faucets, and shower heads that have flow requirements that meet the Energy Policy Act of 1992 can dramatically reduce the water usage and reduce the cost for potable water. There would be a higher cost for those fixtures, but the long-term financial and environmental savings could be significant.

5.  Allowing the designers to do a little more work during the construction design and drawing phase in terms of modeling the building for energy performance and commissioning can have many long-term benefits in architectural design, HVAC design, and long-term energy savings. The cost would primarily be additional design fees. Seeking LEED certification for the building would include these processes and increase the likelihood of long-term savings in many areas.

6.  Sign a contract with an electric company so that at least 35% of the building’s electricity use will be generated using renewable sources. This, of course, represents no additional cost in construction and can be done at any time.

7.  Reuse an existing structure or materials. In a renovation project, existing doors or windows could be reused elsewhere. Even if the project is entirely new construction, reused materials could be purchased from Habitat for Humanity. Ceiling tiles, light fixtures, and framing materials are all common examples of material often disposed of that could be used again. This practice should result in cost savings in construction.

8.  Divert construction waste from disposal to recycling. This requires some extra work on the part of the contractor, but it is a significant environmental consideration. There is no long-term benefit to the church, but the cost for disposal should decrease.

9.  Improve indoor environmental quality by specifying low VOC adhesives, sealants, paints, carpets, and wood products. Do a full building flush-out of the HVAC system prior to occupancy so that construction dust and chemicals are removed from the breathing environment. Provide direct exterior exhaust and negative pressure to rooms (like janitors closets) that contain chemicals or other indoor pollutants. These are all examples of things that would add very little cost but would improve the indoor environment significantly.

10.  Use a LEED accredited professional (LEED AP). This would be someone that has passed the accreditation exam that is administered by the Green Building Counsel Institute. As was stated earlier, one of the biggest obstacles at this point is education as to what is available and possible. A LEED AP is trained to know what is possible.

All of the suggestions mentioned above are actual credits toward green building certification as administered by the United States Green Building Counsel. I would recommend that all churches seek this certification as part of the construction process as it is an indication of our dedication to being good stewards of God’s creation. Many churches could achieve at least the base certification with little additional cost, significant long-term savings, and an improved testimony in their community.