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include a weekly eco-tip in the pew sheet
have it printed on recycled paper
check energy usage of heating/cooling/appliances for possible
savings
serve local or fair-trade food and drink
And her final piece of advice: work together! – it’s hard for any church
(or individual) to do it alone.
I want to thank the North Canberra Ecumenical Church Leaders for
sponsoring this event, and the ladies of St. Columba’s Church providing
a great breakfast complete with homemade jams and marmalades.
- Barbara Burns
* The Green Bible has environmentally relevant texts in green print.
A walk through energy and greenhouse emissions
reduction at St Margaret’s Uniting Church since 2011
St Margaret’s Church Council and Congregation have been conscious
for some years of the benefits of renewable energy for the environment
in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time reducing
running costs.
A solar system was installed on the former St Margaret’s manse at 210
Antill St in 2010. With the 2kW photovoltaic (PV) system, which was rel-
atively expensive at the time, we were offered an exceptionally attrac-
tive feed-in tariff for all electricity produced and sold back into the elec-
tricity grid. As a result, the cost was recovered within 6 years and we
have gone on saving around $1,300 each year since then.
In 2011 a 5kW PV system was installed on the Parish Centre with the
assistance of an ACT Government grant. This installation resulted in a
saving of electricity costs of some $3,000 annually. At the time we were
required to separate the electricity supply from that of the Holy Cross
Church, which had until that time been on a common shared supply.
Both the Church and the Parish Centre had earlier replaced electric
heating with natural gas space heating which was more effective and at
the time gas was the preferred fuel.
Ross Walker Lodge was constructed in 2011, designed to be as energy
efficient as possible, with gas-boosted solar hot water panels on the
roof and gas heating, which at the time was cheaper and more environ-
mentally friendly than electricity from coal-fired power stations. Reverse
cycle air conditioners had been installed in the St Margaret’s offices and
in the toy library for more comfortable cooling and heating in around
Carbon Action Project
4
1 March 2020