ENERGY STAR® Congregations Success Story Form
Recognition for your House of Worship as a leading example for others
Congratulations for implementing an energy efficiency program at your house of worship! Your
congregation is a clear leader in energy efficiency, a proud distinction! We encourage you to share your
success with others around the country to inspire and catalyze them to take similar actions at their
facilities. The ENERGY STAR® for Congregations success story section of the ENERGY STAR website
includes outstanding examples of energy (and/or water) efficiency programs among congregations from
around the country. Your facility can be part of this effort, gaining recognition for your organization and
serving as an example of success for others.
Saving energy is about more than saving money. It demonstrates your commitment to environmental
protection and helps you earn the respect of your members and community. All faith traditions teach the
importance of stewardship, and energy efficiency allows congregations to be better stewards of their
financial resources while simultaneously becoming better stewards of the environment. When ENERGY
STAR tells your success story for you it enhances the creditability of your efforts and can bring leverage
for a variety of activities and membership growth.
This process can also highlight your overall energy performance score in Portfolio Manager (on a scale of
1 – 100) to see if your congregation currently qualifies for an ENERGY STAR building label (to qualify
for a label, you need to have a score of 75 or above).
Our staff would be happy to work with you on this success story, but will need some basic information on
your congregation. To best tell your success story, consider the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Photo
Profile narrative
Testimonial
Organizations Involved in the Property Upgrade Project
Part 1: Photo
You can share a picture (or pictures) of your facility or sustainability team. Acceptable formats include:
.gif, .jpg, or .jpeg.
Part 2: Profile Narrative
Use this section to summarize important information about the facility’s operations and energy and water
management activities. Some possible content sections and relevant questions to consider are outlined
below; use these as a guide to get started—don’t feel you need to answer all the questions!
Background
When was your congregation founded? How large is your congregation? How often is your facility used
and for what purpose(s)? What is the history of facility? What recent additions or improvements have
been made to the facility? Be sure to include the following:
Name of Organization
Contact Name
Address
Telephone
E-Mail
Website
Square Footage
Own or Rent?
Number of Employees/Staff
Type of Congregation
Why pursue energy efficiency?
Why did your congregation decide to pursue an improved energy efficiency/water program? Discuss the
challenges confronted (an old building, how the climate impacts energy use, etc.). Did you get an energy
or water audit? How does greater energy efficiency align with the values of your faith and community?
Energy-efficiency projects
What projects did your team undertake to increase your energy and water efficiency? This can include
examples such as improved lighting (replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs); heating and
cooling upgrades or improved maintenance practices; new efficient appliances; water saving
appliances/fixtures; insulation/draft reduction; facility-wide education on efficiency measures (such as
turning off lights, setting the thermostat at a comfortable level, using fans instead of air conditioning
when appropriate, etc.).
Discuss the degree of difficulty in these projects; were there challenges? Describe the ENERGY STAR
resources that assisted your projects. Did your facility use ENERGY STAR products for project
implementation? In addition to energy efficiency, did you also implement water efficiency programs or
other environmental programs?
Lessons learned
What did you learn while implementing your energy efficiency programs that might help others? What
would you do differently next time?
Results and Communications
How much are you saving? In addition to lower costs, have there been additional benefits (e.g. increased
comfort, efficiency, etc.)? How have you have shared your success within your congregation and greater
community? Has your work been featured in local or national publications?
Part 3: Testimonial
Summarize in a few sentences the most valuable lesson(s) you learned regarding your energy and water
efficiency improvement strategy at this property. What advice would you give someone else? You may
also include a quote or two from leaders of your energy efficiency projects and members of your
congregation to provide a personal touch to your story.
Part 4: Organizations Involved in the Property Upgrade Project
What other organizations were involved in your projects? You can include utility companies, contractors,
auditors, and/or service providers.
Please send your completed form to: energystarcongregations@energyandsecurity.com. Our team will use
your information to draft a story. We will send the success story back to you for clarification (if needed)
and final approval.