Green Castle Baptist Church

First EnergyStar Congregation Designation in Kentucky 

Green Castle Baptist Church in Louisville announces that they will become the first EnergyStar Congregation in the state. Richard Wilson an engineer and member of the church helped them apply for the designation. The church was built in 2006 and got a rating of 91/100. Built by Abel Construction for approximately $6.5 million, the building sits on an 18-acre site. It is constructed of concrete block and steel trusses, containing a 1500 seat sanctuary, choir room, balcony, baptismal, serving room, Pastor conference room, as well as additional classroom space.

See photos of church on courier-journal.com.

This entry on Peter Smith's Courier-Journal blog

An eastern Jefferson County church has become the first house of worship in the state to receive an "Energy Star" certification from the Environmental Protection Agency and one of the first 10 in the nation to receive one.

Green Castle Baptist Church -- a congregation founded in 1869 now meeting in a building built in 2006 -- was notified that the EPA approved its application in early July, according to Richard Wilson, a church deacon and a certified energy engineer.

The EPA had previously applied the certification to other types of buildings -- those whose energy efficiency is in the top 25 percent of its type -- but began conferring it on houses of worship in 2009. It currently lists 10 on its Web site.

The church didn't have to modify its new structure to apply for the certification because it had already made energy efficiency a priority in the 2006 construction of its Murphy Lane building, located near Ky. 22.

That was partly to save money but also to be "good stewards" of resources, Wilson said.

"God left us in charge of the earth," he said. "I believe all churches should be focused on reducing greenhouse gases and being efficient with what God has left in our control to manage."

The church has about 37,000 square feet, including space it uses regularly and storage areas, according to administrator Larry Lander.

The historically black congregation was founded in 1869, in the wake of emancipation. Beginning in 1946, it had been meeting in a building on Rose Island Road, but it constructed the new facility to meet growing membership, now at about 650.

The facility worships in a multi-purpose room that can also be used for weekday activities, rather than a standard sanctuary. Its energy measures do not involve solar panels or other novel technology -- just a lot of attention to such basics as insulation, compact fluorescent bulbs, efficient heating/ventilation/air conditioning and the use of timers to raise and lower temperatures as needed.

"The big key is if you have a more insulated building, you don?t need as big a system for heating and cooling because it's going to keep the heat in and the cool air in also," Wilson said.

The church has an energy bill of about $2,600 per month, Lander said, which he said was good considering the size and use of the facility.