Geothermal Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Give New Life to an Old Illinois Church

This case study details the transition of the Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park, Illinois, toward net-zero energy through a series of phased upgrades. Starting in 2011, the church replaced an inefficient gas boiler with a geothermal heat pump system, followed by the installation of rooftop solar panels in 2014, LED lighting upgrades in 2020, and a subscription to a community solar farm in 2021.

• The installation of a 50-ton geothermal heat pump system in 2011 reduced the church's annual gas costs by $11,500 and lowered greenhouse gas emissions by 81 percent. The system, which cost $350,000 and involved digging 52 wells to a depth of 150 feet, resulted in annual operational savings of approximately $8,500 for heating and cooling, although it increased annual electricity costs by $3,000.
• In 2014, the church installed a 35-kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar system consisting of 99 panels at a cost of $126,000. This system produces up to 43,000 kWh per year, reducing annual energy consumption by 27 percent and offsetting 67,651 pounds of carbon emissions annually.
• To address remaining electricity needs, the church subscribed to the Rockford community solar farm in 2021 via Nexamp Solar. By subscribing to 24 kW of solar power, the church receives approximately 50,200 kWh annually at a 20 percent discount compared to ComEd rates, offsetting an additional 78,431 pounds of carbon emissions per year.
• Additional energy efficiency measures implemented in 2020, including the installation of LED bulbs and exit signs and the use of night setback temperature controls, cost $20,000 and save the church approximately 47,000 kWh of electricity annually.

APA

Yañez-Barnuevo, M. (2023). Geothermal Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Give New Life to an Old Illinois Church. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/geothermal-energy-and-efficiency-upgrades-give-new-life-to-an-old-illinois-church

Chicago

Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel. Geothermal Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Give New Life to an Old Illinois Church. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/geothermal-energy-and-efficiency-upgrades-give-new-life-to-an-old-illinois-church.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yañez-Barnuevo |first1=Miguel |title=Geothermal Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Give New Life to an Old Illinois Church |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=21 April 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/geothermal-energy-and-efficiency-upgrades-give-new-life-to-an-old-illinois-church |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaezbarnuevo2023geothermal, author = {Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel}, title = {{Geothermal Energy and Efficiency Upgrades Give New Life to an Old Illinois Church}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/geothermal-energy-and-efficiency-upgrades-give-new-life-to-an-old-illinois-church}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }