Case study · Walk-Through + Detailed Energy Survey
A 1965-era church with a $6,800 annual utility bill. No capital project. Five operational fixes the volunteer facilities team implemented themselves — payback under 14 months.
Building age
61 years
Built 1965
Floor area
10,000 sf
Single story, brick + masonry
Annual savings
$1,800
27% of utility bill
Blended payback
1.1 yr
Across 5 ECMs
Central Community Church is a single-story brick-and-masonry congregation in central Illinois. Built in 1965 and expanded once in the 1990s, the building hosts a Sunday morning service for 80–100 people plus midweek programs: a Korean language academy three afternoons a week, choir practice on Thursday evening, and occasional fellowship dinners.
Usage pattern
Active 12–15 hours/week; building runs HVAC essentially 24/7 with no scheduled setbacks.
Existing systems
Two RTUs (15 + 12 tons), one boiler for hot water, single thermostat per zone, ~90% T8 fluorescent lighting in main spaces.
Annual utility cost
$6,837 — $3,732 electric + $3,105 natural gas. Roughly $0.68/sf/yr, on the higher end for an Illinois church this size.
Facilities staffing
One volunteer facilities chair; no full-time maintenance staff. Decisions go through a 7-member board.
The building isn't inefficient on paper — its electric-side EUI lands below the CBECS church benchmark of 40–80 kBtu/sf/yr. But that masks a different problem: the church is using a 5,000+ ft³ sanctuary as if it were occupied 24/7, when actual hours are closer to 15/week.
Baseload at 50% of peak
The lowest-month electric draw equates to a building running constantly. Almost certainly HVAC and exit/security lighting, neither of which need to run when nobody's there.
No setpoint differentiation
Same 72°F heating / 72°F cooling target whether 100 people are present on Sunday or 0 are present at 2am Wednesday. No setback. No weekend mode. No optimal start.
Envelope leaks at every opening
Walk-through revealed worn weather-stripping at four exterior doors, two windows with failed gasket seals, and an attic hatch with no insulation. Easily 0.5 air changes per hour leaking through these alone.
Energy conservation measures, ranked by payback. Together they reduce the church's utility bill by approximately 27% with under $2,500 in project cost.
| Measure | Annual savings | Project cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
HVAC schedule optimization Sunday + Wed/Thu setback rules | $680 | $0 | Immediate |
Thermostat setpoint adjustment 68°F heat / 76°F cool occupied; 60°F / 82°F unoccupied | $420 | $0 | Immediate |
Envelope air sealing Weather-strip 4 doors, gasket 2 windows, insulate attic hatch | $310 | $340 | 1.1 yr |
LED retrofit (sanctuary + classrooms) Replace 48 T8 fluorescents with DLC LED, 4000K | $240 | $1,440 | 6.0 yr |
Destratification fans (sanctuary) Two HVLS fans, high ceiling, winter heating savings | $150 | $680 | 4.5 yr |
| TOTAL | $1,800 | $2,460 | 1.4 yr blended |
Savings are weather-normalized estimates from observed equipment runtime, building-load modeling, and the Bloomington-Normal HDD/CDD climate profile. Actual M&V over the first heating season will refine these.
Phase 1 (Operational)
$1,100/yr
Schedule + setpoint changes. Zero capital. Implemented in 1 weekend by facilities volunteer.
Phase 2 (Quick capital)
$310/yr
$340 envelope kit, weather strip + insulation. Local Ameren rebate covers 30%.
Phase 3 (LED + fans)
$390/yr
LED retrofit + HVLS fans. Eligible for $400 utility rebate, additional ENERGY STAR program incentives.
The board approved Phase 1 the week the report landed. Phase 2 followed within 30 days. Phase 3 is queued for the next capital cycle, with rebate pre-applications already filed.
Start with the free 60-second Self Audit to see where your building stands against the CBECS benchmark. If the savings look meaningful, we'll talk about a paid Walk-Through Audit ($1,500–$3,000 for a church this size).
Names and specific identifying details in this case study have been altered to protect client privacy.