That’s probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you see one of our country’s amazing church buildings. From the quaint country chapel to the great wool churches, abbeys and cathedrals of all denominations and even faiths, I love these buildings and the stories that they tell. But does anyone stop to think: What is its carbon footprint? and Can it achieve net zero? Probably not, unless like me you head straight for the boiler the first time you visit a friend’s house.
‘If I were to design a building to be as inefficient as possible, I would probably end up with something like church.’
When you start to think about it, you probably come to the conclusion that a church stands no chance of being net zero. But that is the challenge the Church of England has set itself to achieve by 2030. It’s a hugely ambitious and difficult task, but like all well-thought-out net zero projects it starts with minimising energy use and emissions.
Why am I involved?
As a sustainability charity helping people, businesses and communities reduce their energy use, Severn Wye has been appointed by the Church of England to offer energy and carbon audits to some of its highest carbon emitters in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
I have had the privilege of meeting many of the people – often volunteers – who maintain and help run their churches and I’ve learnt they are already doing so much to tread lightly. In the last few years much, progress has been made without the help of professionals.However, there is still a lot more that can be done – things people might think would be impossible in the context of a church.
Heating the masses
Most churches were built without any form of heating, however in the Victorian age many were retrofitted with gurney stoves or other wet central heating systems while some now use direct electric heating. This means many churches are now heated using fossil fuels and (often) being big, uninsulated and draughty, that typically accounts for 90% of its energy use. Being warm and welcoming is a key part of the Church’s mission so a return to the freezing cold of medieval churches is not so much an option.
Above: Severn Wye retrofit specialist Greg Collier-Jones records the heating systems at the church of St Philip and St James, Leckhampton, Gloucestershire.
Mains gas, LPG and oil will always emit about the same amount of carbon but electricity, on the other hand, we can do something about. Though currently higher than gas, emissions from electricity are predicted to drop to around a third of current levels as the UK decarbonises the grid. Now switch to a heat pump where you can benefit from around 300-400% efficiency and net zero looks much more achievable.
‘But I’ve heard heat pumps only work in modern well-insulated buildings – they will never work in a church!’
I have been surprised myself when modelling this, but churches are not like homes; they only need heating around 10% of the time, and they don’t need to be as warm. Many churches are in the process of reordering, removing pews and levelling floors, providing an opportunity to install underfloor heating which is ideal for the lower flow temperatures of heat pumps. If necessary a heat pump can be installed alongside an existing fossil fuel boiler to provide extra heat on the coldest days. If you’re still not convinced, there are some case studies of churches that have made the switch at the end of this blog.
In less regularly occupied churches, heating people with infrared or pew heaters – even heated cushions – could be better than heating the whole space once or twice a week.
The light of creation – Solar PV
Churches are built on an east-west orientation so typically have a fairly large south-facing roof. While these are often made of historic materials, some are not visible from the ground making solar PV an easier option – for example Gloucester Cathedral fitted 150 panels to the south transept roof.
Even if the roof is visible the case for solar panels is strong; the zero-carbon agenda requires urgent action and rooftop solar PV is a reversible choice. Solar canopies over car parks offer the dual benefit of generating energy and keeping cars cool on a hot day, while battery storage will help get the most out of energy generation.
Below: Exterior view of Tewkesbury Abbey
Diversity of buildings – multifaith decarbonisation plans
Every religious building is different, and each must be analysed carefully to find the right path towards net zero. The solutions might not always be obvious, but we just need the right data and a bit of imagination to find them. Wether it is Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, non-denominational, mosque, synagogue, temple or anything else, we would love to help you with your net zero journey.
More information
Top image: Severn Wye retrofit assessor Irfan Ali Kakar surveys the exterior of buildings at Tewkesbury Abbey, Gloucestershire
You can read more about the Church of England’s Net Zero Carbon 2030 goals here www.churchofengland.org/resources/net-zero-carbon-routemap
Air source heat pump church case studies:
www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/Ings_St_Anne_Case_Study.pdf
www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2022-08/Scalford_casestudy.pdf www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2021-09/St_Mary_Ashford_ground_source_heat_pump_case.pdf
