Case for Support
Who We Are
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The Presbyterian Church of Wyoming’s Mission Statement declares that We are on a Journey to learn together to be followers of Jesus Christ, reflecting God’s light into the world. This journey of following Christ invites us to move beyond the shallows to go deep. Over the last 154 years, PCW has been going deep in mission, in learning, in worship, in love of God and neighbor. We are now entering a new era and a new invitation to put out from the safety of shore and go into the deep waters. Go deep for our mission, Go deep to protect God’s creation, Go deep for the next generation, Go deep for our community, Go deep for our future.
Our building has been a place for people to gather, study scripture, worship God, and fulfill our mission to the wider community and the world. Its location and architecture have also been beacons, reflecting God’s light and love as an anchor to the Wyoming community.In addition to providing space for our ministry teams and worship services, our building currently houses Lads and Lassies Community Preschool, Boy Scouts, Narcotics Anonymous, other support groups, and community groups such as the Herb Society. Our middle school and high school youth spaces have become home to youth from our church and where youth from other churches and the community join our ministry for nurturing and growth. Our building has also become home to Ukrainian refugees. We have been able to bless our community and various non-profit entities by providing space for special concerts and events, such as the vigil to commemorate anniversaries of the war in Ukraine.
Our Need
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The current building that houses our ministry is in need of a complete overhaul of our HVAC systems. The typical life expectancy of these systems is 20 years. The boiler, chiller, and air handling units servicing the older portion of the building are 30 years old, and the components are failing. We have annually been replacing various components, but up to now none of the major components have failed. Two air handling units serve the sanctuary, but only one functions now. We know that we will continue to see system failures. However, we do not want to replace individual components for an outdated system. Replacing the whole system with a newer, much more efficient system is the appropriate answer. We may not be able to utilize our current approach much longer. The HVAC servicing the newer portion of the building is a much simpler system. But it is now 20 years old, and while still functioning, will reach its service life and need to be replaced in the next few years.
Replacing our HVAC system is a critical project in maintaining the usability of our facility for the ministries listed above. It also gives future generations of PCW members the opportunity to explore ways to use our building as a blessing to the community.
The Solution
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Our facility team has been exploring options. With the help of a national mechanical engineering firm, they have determined a geothermal heating and cooling system will provide the best overall solution to replacing both the current system that is failing and set us up for the replacement of all of the systems. By drilling deep, to install a well field under our parking lot, we can tap into the ground’s steady temperature to provide an efficient and economical energy source for our HVAC system. Geothermal is a time-tested and reliable technology that will not adversely affect our drinking water or harm the aquifer that runs under Wyoming. In fact, it has been installed successfully in the neighboring communities of Glendale and Lockland. Geothermal is safe.
Geothermal heating and cooling has multiple advantages over a more traditional chiller and boiler system.
1. It will decrease the church’s carbon footprint. Our energy usage will decrease from an estimated 59 kBTU to 40 kBTU, eliminating the need for burning natural gas in our HVAC systems. This will also significantly reduce our monthly utility bills.
2. Geothermal HVAC combined with modern building controls will allow us to harness the steady temperature of the earth to create a more efficient and comfortable building.
3. The geothermal field itself will outlast the life of a typical chiller and boiler. While the traditional air handling components of a geothermal system will need to be replaced in 20-25 years, the geothermal field will last 50 to 100 years, decreasing the cost of the next HVAC
project that will be faced by future generations.
4. A geothermal HVAC system allows our congregation to maximize our recent Earth Care Congregation certification more fully.
5. Government rebates that became available last year bring the cost of geothermal energy down to the same level as a traditional chiller and boiler system, making this a long-term solution that is affordable now and will benefit future generations.
Geothermal Benefit
- Less space needed for equipment
- Noise reduction vs. other systems
- Carbon emissions eliminated on site
- 50+ year life expectancy of well field
- Up to 40% Direct Rebate through the Inflation Reduction Act
- Operating costs saving 40% more efficient that traditional systems
We anticipate that a geothermal system will cost $1.8 million dollars after rebates. We are targeting a summer 2025 geothermal well field installation while Lads and Lassies is on summer break. In the meantime, we will be working with our HVAC engineer on detailed design and bidding the work to installation contractors. We are mindful of the needs of our building’s various tenants and will work with them on contingency plans as timelines for various aspects of the work become more solid.
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Our current opportunity is to raise the $1.8 million dollars needed to fund our HVAC and avoid long-term debt service on the HVAC system.
