"...And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness..."
God created light, NATURAL LIGHT. We all love light. However, most of our love affair is with unnatural light. But just as God separated the light from darkness, sometimes we should do the same thing. We need to separate ourselves from unnatural lighting. What am I referring to? Conservation. Energy. Turn the lights off, people, conserve energy. Use energy efficient bulbs, save energy. Save energy = save money. Save Energy = help the planet. It's just that simple.
What are other ways to conserve energy in planning your church facility?
Greenie Tips:
Lighting:
- Build your facility letting in natural light, have the natural light designed based on the proper solar orientation and specific to target locations.
- Add a clerestory to allow additional light to enter. A clerestory is a high wall with a band of narrow windows along the very top. The clerestory wall usually rises above adjoining roofs.
- For existing buildings, your light choices may be limited but don't rule out adding sky lights.
- Design rooms with motion sensor lighting.
"...He causes the clouds to rise over the whole earth. He sends the lightning with the rain and releases the wind from his storehouses..." Psalms 135:7
Energy:
The weather affects energy usage. Energy usage affects costs. Energy usage affects the environment. Your facility can be designed to accommodate these conditions and conserve energy. Upcoming legislation will have a drastic affect on energy usage and costs.
This legislation will impact the operations of your church facility.
Deregulation is coming. Deregulation will allow consumers competition among energy suppliers and customers will be able to choose their own energy suppliers. Competition will provide the opportunity for lower prices and energy choices from socially responsible suppliers.
Energy Saving Tips:
- The structure should be properly insulated.
- Choose a Green Roof. Green Roofs provide insulation; help reduce the size of the HVAC system and manage stormwater runoff.
- Your designer should specify an HVAC system that is energy efficient.
Contact Urban Aesthetics for energy efficient design choices. Our LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) consultant can help your building get LEED Certified to maximize your benefits.
Phone: 215-776-8795
Email: info@urbanaestheticsdesigns.com
