POSITIVE ENERGY

SUMMER 2018

SUSTAINING TRADITION

IN ITS THIRD MILENNIUM, the Catholic Church carries timeless truths into a world whose temporal realities keep changing. Among the challenges for the archdiocese and its parishes are to light, heat and maintain hundreds of churches, schools, rectories, convents, parish centers and other facilities in a way that is sustainable both economically and environmentally, taking advantage of the newest technologies to advance an eternal faith.

CARE FOR CREATION (AND BUDGETS)

Conducting energy audits, converting church buildings to LED lighting, improving insulation and installing solar arrays may sound unexciting, but these initiatives are bringing dramatic returns. “What we’re trying to do is reduce the energy consumption and the carbon footprint of about 1,900 buildings,” says Martin Susz, director of the Energy Department. This massive project is being funded largely through the Renew + Rebuild capital campaign, but it also takes advantage of funding available from New York State and through utility companies’ incentives for energy conservation efforts. To date, the Energy Department has performed energy audits on buildings at more than 100 sites around the archdiocese.

LET THERE BE (LED) LIGHT

Upgrading to LED lighting is an affordable step – local power suppliers fund a little over half the cost – that can lead to significant savings and reduce the energy consumed for lighting by as much as 75 percent – with corresponding savings on energy bills. It may require installing some new fixtures, but the process can be completed in a few weeks, and the costs are recovered in an average of just 14 months. The result will be thousands of dollars per year that can be redirected to a parish’s mission – a win for everyone.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN

Capitalizing on recent advances in solar technology, the archdiocese has launched a pilot program to install solar panels at six schools on Staten Island and in Yonkers this summer. The transition to solar is expected to deliver energy at rates 30 to 40 percent below current costs. All upfront installation costs are being borne by Con Ed Solutions. In a similar initiative, the Energy Department is exploring the creation of solar “farms” at three archdiocesan cemeteries, arrays designed to provide up to five megawatts of electricity to nearby parishes. If all goes according to plan, these solar initiatives will be rolled out to more parishes in 2019.
 

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MEANWHILE, ON FIFTH AVENUE...

Renovated to reveal the glory of its neo-Gothic vaults and spires, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, whose construction started in 1858, has been leading the way in using clean energy technology to light and heat its spaces. For starters, all the lighting in the cathedral has been converted to LED – taking care to preserve the traditional appearance of candelabras where appropriate. In addition, new glass inner doors installed at the cathedral’s main entrance allow the monumental brass doors to remain open, visually drawing in passersby without letting out the heated or cooled air from within.

The centerpiece of the energy conservation plan, however, is the geothermal plant that was built beneath the cathedral between 2012 and 2017. This cutting-edge technology pipes water into and out of the bedrock, using wells drilled to a depth of 2,200 feet, to cool buildings in summer and heat them in the winter. Since it went on line in February 2017, the St. Patrick’s geothermal system has provided all heating and cooling needs for the cathedral, the archbishop’s residence and the parish house. It is estimated that this reduces carbon emissions by 94,000 kilograms per year, roughly equivalent to what would be produced by burning 218 barrels of oil.

Not quite a miracle, but a good start toward a greener future for God’s Earth.