You are here
Vast Brooklyn Church Complex Slims Down Energy Spending
Friendship Baptist Church
90 Herkimer Street, Bedford Stuyvesant
Reverend Craig C. Gaddy
The Friendship Baptist Church building was originally built in 1910 as a Shriners’ hall. Before the Friendship Baptist congregation bought the building in 1966, it was also a synagogue. The current congregation generates an attendance of approximately 200 members on any given Sunday.
There are three floors in the Friendship Baptist Church building. The basement contains a large dining room with a raised platform stage, a kitchen, boiler room, coatrooms, two restrooms and several storage/classrooms. The first floor contains the worship space (which can seat 2,200 people), two meeting rooms, four offices and three restrooms. The second floor contains a substantial balcony for the worship space, choir room, dance room, two restrooms and some storage space. The third floor has a gym and eight storage rooms. The total floor area of Friendship Baptist Church is about 45,400. It is estimated that about 33,000 square feet of that total are heated.
The building has no insulation. Walls are brick. Roofing is asphalt half-lap. Windows are almost all single-glass.
An energy audit was conducted by Andrew Rudin of Energy Management who specializes in religious institution buildings. Additionally, a survey of lighting was performed by the Con Edison Commercial Direct Install Program.
Friendship Baptist Church is located on one of two "model blocks" that participated in the first phase of Retrofit Bedford Stuyvesant Block By Block, a partnership between the Pratt Center and Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation.
Learn more about Retrofit Bedford Stuyvesant and Retrofit NYC Block by Block.
Recommended Energy Efficiency Measures
- Eliminate office water cooler
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $180
- Lower water temperature
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $100
- Lower steam pressure
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $100
- Close roof vent
COST: $20
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $500
- Lighting modifications
COST BEFORE INCENTIVES: $5,667
COST AFTER INCENTIVES: $1,700
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $2,500
- Replace two thermostats
COST: $400
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $1,000
- Increase fan speed
COST: $1,000
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $1,000
- Add new return air grille
COST: $2,000
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $2,000
- Replace freezer
COST BEFORE INCENTIVES: $500
COST AFTER INCENTIVES: $400
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $350
- Replace refrigerator
COST BEFORE INCENTIVES: $450
COST AFTER INCENTIVES: $350
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $290
- Insulate sanctuary ceiling
COST: $2,500
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $700
- Install pump and piping
COST: $2,000
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $300
All proposed measures:
COST BEFORE INCENTIVES: $14,537
COST AFTER INCENTIVES: $4,620
PROJECTED ANNUAL SAVINGS: $9,020
Incentives Utilized
The Con Edison Commercial Direct Install program is providing free incandescent bulb replacements and is paying for 70% of the cost of other lighting measures. Appliance replacements are eligible for a NYSERDA rebate.
Implementation
Friendship Baptist Church has completed their lighting upgrades and we are working with the church on implementation of other recommended measures.
Other Work
In addition to energy conservation, the Pratt Center has referred Friendship Baptist Church to Russel Watsky, a roofing consultant, to help them deal with some long standing roof leakage issues. We are also helping them examine the idea of developing a food business incubation non-profit utilizing their kitchen facilities.
