ohio-churches-go-green

The Episcopal Southern Ohio Diocese established the Energy Efficiency Grant and Loan Program in July 2021 to fund energy-saving retrofits in its congregations. The program requires participants to conduct ASHRAE Level 2 energy audits and develop reduction plans to qualify for grants of up to $10,000 or low-interest loans of up to $10,000. By June 2023, the program awarded $533,047 through 56 grants and disbursed $121,207 in loans. Case studies of churches in Athens, Circleville, and Washington Court House demonstrate the adoption of LED lighting, high-efficiency furnaces, and ductless mini-split heat pumps to lower carbon emissions and operational costs. The document also notes that the Inflation Reduction Act's "direct pay" incentives may now encourage these nonprofits to pursue solar installations after first improving building efficiency.

• The Episcopal Southern Ohio Diocese's Energy Efficiency Grant and Loan Program, launched in July 2021, provides grants and low-interest loans of up to $10,000 each to help congregations implement energy-efficient measures such as LED lighting, insulation, and high-efficiency boilers.
• To receive funding, churches must first complete an ASHRAE Level 2 energy audit—which includes a facility walk-through and financial analysis—and create a diocese-approved plan to reduce long-term energy usage.
• Between July 2021 and June 2023, the program awarded $533,047 across 56 grants and disbursed $121,207 in low-interest loans.
• Specific facility upgrades across Ohio churches have included the installation of ductless mini-split heat pumps, which are up to four times more efficient than fossil fuel equipment, and LED lighting that has reduced electricity bills by more than 25 percent in some cases.
• The Inflation Reduction Act's "direct pay" tax incentives for nonprofits are expected to make solar installations more attractive to Ohio churches, who previously prioritized building efficiency to lower costs before installing solar.

APA

Yañez-Barnuevo, M. (2023). ohio-churches-go-green. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/ohio-churches-go-green

Chicago

Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel. ohio-churches-go-green. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/ohio-churches-go-green.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yañez-Barnuevo |first1=Miguel |title=ohio-churches-go-green |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=31 October 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/ohio-churches-go-green |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaezbarnuevo2023ohiochurchesgogreen, author = {Yañez-Barnuevo, Miguel}, title = {{ohio-churches-go-green}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/ohio-churches-go-green}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }