ServiceU would like to congratulate Vineyard Christian Fellowship for winning the “Best Green Initiative” as part of the fourth annual Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) Solomon Awards. This award recognizes the church’s environmental stewardship efforts.
EventU Green™ is an integral part of VCF’s “green initiative.” EventU Green allows VCF to automatically control room temperature for their events by coordinating their heating and air conditioning based on their event schedule. By utilizing EventU Green and other energy-conscious steps, VCF has experienced a 25% reduction in their consumption and a near 20% utility and labor savings.
Here’s a look at how they’ve done it:
EventU Green reduces utility and labor costs
• Utility savings
As VCF evaluated their energy consumption, the church realized that they were using too much energy within their facilities. Before launching EventU Green, the heating and cooling would run in rooms and zones that were unoccupied for extended periods of time, resulting in a large energy expense for the church. By using EventU Green, VCF was able to efficiently manage the HVAC to heat or cool a room only when an event is going on. This has resulted in tremendous energy utility savings for the church.
• Labor savings
In addition, labor costs have been reduced by the automation features of EventU Green. Because EventU Green is integrated with VCF’s event calendar, the heating and air-conditioning automatically switches on in time for the room to reach the right temperature before the event begins. Because of this feature, VCF has reduced labor costs because staff members do not have to come to the church after-hours to “turn on” and “turn off” the HVAC for events.
• Reducing stress and confusion
Another way in which EventU Green has saved VCF on labor costs is by automatically adjusting the HVAC when an event runs longer than anticipated. Event organizers simply turn the air on and off from any computer with Internet access rather than chasing down a facilities person. This has helped eliminate confusion, frustration and stress among the congregants and the facility management personnel.
Additional ways VCF has reduced their environmental footprint
In addition to EventU Green, VCF has taken many other steps to reduce their environmental footprint. Here’s a few of the steps they’ve taken.
• Retrofitting the lighting throughout their entire building with energy-efficient light bulbs and ballasts, and installing motion sensors in areas to prevent lights being left on unnecessarily.
• Launching a recycle initiative. VCF estimates that they’ve recycled 24 tons of cardboard and 15 tons of paper. In addition, VCF recycles aluminum, plastic, glass, and batteries.
• Planting trees helps shade their structures and chipping tree branches that have fallen places them back into the soil as mulch
• Using only biodegradable cups, plates, cutlery, napkins, etc ., in campus facilities
• Planting a small fruit orchard to reap the natural benefits of the trees themselves and also to help provide fresh fruit that they distribute to the less fortunate and homeless through their Compassion Ministry that serves more than 3,000 families each month.
If you’re interested in learning how your church can reduce energy costs with EventU Green, visit us online at www.EventUGreen.com.
