8/8/2019 Mount Washington UMC is the First to Complete Energy Alliance Nonprofit Program | Mt. Washington News

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Mount W ashington UMC is the first to comp lete Energy 

 Alliance Nonprofit Progr am

MT. WASHINGTON, OH (FOX19) - The Mt. Washington United Methodist Church (UMC) became the first

nonprofit to complete the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (GCEA) efficiency program, benefitting from

GCEAs building assessment expertise and receiving a $21,200 dollar grant toward the $40,200 total

improvement project. In March of this year, Mt. Washington UMC received a call from the West Ohio

Conference of the United Methodist Church about the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance nonprofit

program. At the time, GCEA was participating in the Mt. Washington Neighborhood Enhancement Program,in partnership with the City of Cincinnati, and after attending a presentation on March 23rd at McNicholas

High School, Mt. Washington UMC signed up when it learned about the new energy saving opportunity

available through GCEA.

The first step to becoming energy efficient is learning about the performance and energy consumption of a

building. Reverend Rick Riggs, Pastor of Mt. Washington UMC, had an energy assessment with a GCEA

approved contractor, Monroe Mechanical, which analyzed energy saving opportunities including lighting,

heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment. In addition to performing a building energy

assessment, GCEAs contractor completed an analysis of energy use over the last three years and found

that the forty five year-old Mt. Washington UMC building had numerous energy saving opportunities.

Pastor Riggs summed up the importance of the investment to the church, “because of this grant we will be

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8/8/2019 Mount Washington UMC is the First to Complete Energy Alliance Nonprofit Program | Mt. Washington News

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able to use money that would have gone to our utility bills to instead go to ministry to make a positive

difference for Christ in peoples lives.” With an investment of $40,200 dollars, Mt. Washington UMC could

reduce its annual lighting electricity use by 35%, heating use by 25%, and cooling use by 25%. In five

years, the combined investment from the Ohio River Valley District of the United Methodist Church and

GCEA is expected to be paid off, and Mt. Washington UMC will save an average of $8,000 per year over the

life of the installed equipment.

Mt. Washington UMCs efficiency project initially stalled because it lacked the capital for the remaining

project balance. But the churchs luck changed when Pastor Riggs received an email from Galen Mills, a

member of the Missions Foundation of the Ohio River Valley District of the United Methodist Church. “Like

a gift from God”, explained Pastor Riggs in regards to the donation offered by the Ohio River Valley District

of the United Methodist Church, which provides grant money for churches to do various projects. Galen

Mills shared his enthusiasm for the project remarking that, “God expects all of us to be good stewards ofwhat He has provided. We are very grateful the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance made it possible for the

Missions Foundation to partner with them and the Mt. Washington United Methodist Church to bring about

permanent reductions in energy consumption and energy costs.”

Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance brought in Monroe Mechanical to install 125 light fixtures with t-8

fluorescents, replace a twelve year old boiler with a 96% efficient boiler, and exchange outdated air

conditioner equipment. Mt. Washington UMC also had incurred expenses in 2010 including the need to

replace its roof, change half of the building's boiler heating piping, install a new A/C unit, a hot water heater,

and repair a furnace. The savings from the energy efficiency improvements will also benefit UMC by

helping to offset these unexpected expenses.

The Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance has teamed up with Ohio Interfaith Power and Light and the

Artswave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) to increase energy efficiency for local religious and arts & culture

organizations. Andy Holzhauser, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance and an active

member of other nonprofit organizations views the program as an excellent way to support the community.

Mr. Holzhauser shared that, “GCEA is committed to helping non-profit organizations reduce their energy

costs through education, technical assistance, and financing programs. This frees more resources for their

organizations mission.”

While Mt. Washington UMCs energy efficiency project will make its facilities more comfortable, more

efficient, and at the same time reduce its annual utilities, Pastor Riggs offered a deeper reason for taking

action, “we believe everything comes from God, and we are to be good stewards of everything, especially

our resources and the environment.”

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