Members of EAG’s energy team led by VP Curt Monhart toured a facility last week that will become so much more than just a building renovation. The end result will be a project that brings together many elements focused on people and sustainable giving.
Curt Monhart, VP
Guided by the visionary driving the renovation, our team toured the 23,000 square foot facility that had been vacated over 10 years ago. For a long time the utilities had been shut off and a reconfiguration of the nearby street left the water supply disconnected. The building had a chill and a musty smell even though it was the final day of June. Water had leaked through the roof and in various places light was shining through the deteriorated mortar of the cinder block walls.
Our guide is the director of a non-profit organization with a grand vision for serving the community and an ambitious plan to convert an empty building into a community-oriented resource. Resources will include secure daycare, a food pantry, educational classrooms and church meeting areas.
After the primary focus on people the director’s vision is also guided by sustainability and energy efficiency.
“Whatever improvements we can make that would make us more sustainable would be ideal for our organization!”
As a not-for-profit organization the director has a goal of maximizing the value and benefits derived from the donations that are given to the organization. In order to achieve that goal his organization focuses on keeping the cost of administration extremely low. They pride themselves on returning 99.9 percent of all donations back to the community.
That means they are able to maintain their organization using a scant .01% of donations, a level unheard of for most non-profits. In order achieve that miniscule level of overhead it is vital that they keep the cost of providing their services to an absolute minimum.
One way they achieve minimal costs is by using a small army of volunteers. Another cost reduction is by way of the vast network of supporters who freely provide financial and material donations. A concern for the present building project is to minimize the expense of energy by incorporating the most efficient energy technology during the renovation.
“Zoned heating and cooling is very important to us. Trying to heat a 23,000 square foot box is a nightmare!”
The structure was built in the 1950s and has virtually zero insulation. The cinder block walls show light as well as air infiltration in various places. The visible metal roof provides scant protection from the heat of summer or the cold of winter.
The building, which was formerly three separate units, will now function as a single business entity providing multiple areas of service. The antiquated suspended, open flame heating units will need to be scrapped and replaced with a programmable, coordinated system that won’t allow the zones “fighting each other” with one end of the building calling for heat while the other end is calling for air conditioning.
The ambitious project will include building envelop improvements, smart system controls, high efficiency LED lighting, daylight harvesting technology, advanced HVAC, possible ground source heating and “whatever improvements we can make that will make us more sustainable as an organization.”
EAG was brought in on the project in order to foster energy efficiency through the use of Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE). PACE financing will support a comprehensive energy renovation without having to tap into the limited funds required to run the organization. The energy savings will then be used to repay the PACE financing through a special property tax assessment.
The project is guaranteed to create many great stories as it unfolds. Some of the exciting components of the expansive vision driving the project include:
- Turning a loading dock / parking lot into a park.
- Using greenery for community beautification.
- Teaching children from non-English speaking homes necessary reading skills.
- A food bank (presently provides 750,000 pounds of free food each year).
- Safe daycare.
- Spiritual support
- And so much more!
In short the goal is to reach out to people who find themselves in desperate circumstances and offer a dignified way for them to get the vital services they are so badly in need of. That translates to feeding “body, mind and soul” and the intended result of stopping poverty today and in future generations!
What a vision!
Saving energy is so much more than simply dollars and cents! EAG looks forward to sharing the stories that illustrate the other benefits of saving energy as they develop during this exciting project!
Dollars saved on energy use means more for those in need of nourishment for body, mind and spirit. Now, that’s a great return on investment!