52 weekly articles celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Huguenot Memorial Church, researched and written by Archivist Jon Coss.
As Earth Day approaches on April 22, we look at Huguenot’s environmental awareness.
Huguenot’s “climate awareness” began in 2004 when it hosted a presentation by New York Interfaith Power & Light. That presentation led to Huguenot’s membership in N.Y.I.P.&L. and to the first energy audit of all the church buildings.
Huguenot’s current sanctuary was built in 1917. Through the years the church expanded to 34,500 square feet by adding offices, classrooms, and a gym. Said Eric Smith, chair at the time of the Building and Grounds Committee, “It’s all one facility, but the original heating went back to 1918, when a coal-fired steam system provided heat, later converted to oil in the ‘30s.”
Time and disrepair meant that when one part of the church needed heating, the entire system turned on. With the rising cost of oil, this meant by 2008, Huguenot was spending as much as $135,000 annually on heating oil, plus the escalating costs of repairs and maintenance of a system that was past its useful service life. In addition, only the library and chapel had air conditioning, so the church wasn’t able to offer year-round programming. Lastly, due to the system’s inability to control temperature and humidity in the sanctuary, the church organ had also suffered.
Geothermal groundbreaking ceremony.
In 2008 Huguenot’s Property Use Task Force was formed (Bill Hoare, Jeff Keyser, Lance Koonce, Jeff Marcks, and Eric Smith). In 2010 it reported to the Session of Elders on the aging HVAC system and concluded that the existing oil-fueled, steam heating system and limited air conditioning equipment were not sustainable. They recommended the implementation of a more efficient and sustainable ground-loop geothermal system that would provide year-round comfort for the entire facility. In addition, the buildings needed upgrading in insulation and energy containment.
The Session authorized the Task Force to (1) commission the design and installation of the new HVAC system, (2) form a Capital Campaign to raise funds, (3) form a Building Committee to select a professional design team and construction team, and (4) schedule the ground breaking, which was set for the spring of 2012.
Implementation of the plan became more urgent when both of Huguenot’s old boilers broke down in the late winter of 2012. The geothermal system uses the earth’s energy to heat and cool the HMC campus. The plan morphed into a project called Sustainable Huguenot – a plan to create a financially and environmentally responsible church for future generations.
Dennis Hazlehurst shows off computer and control system. Eric Smith at Geothermal reception.
The new system and building upgrades were installed by DJH Mechanical, owned by long-time Huguenot members Dennis Hazlehurst and Sylvia Hazlehurst, who worked with various subcontractors and under the supervision of PPM (Parish Property Management) and the HMC Building Committee, chaired by Eric Smith. The two old boilers were dismantled and removed, along with most of the radiators and underground oil tank.
Twenty-seven geothermal wells were drilled in the parking lot to depths of over 300 feet to capture the earth’s energy. Underground pipes were run from these wells to the mechanical room and connected to an array of heat pumps and air handlers to provide air conditioning and temperature control on a room-by-room basis, 12 months a year, for the entire building. The mechanical room was equipped with a computer and control system. In addition, nine sump pumps, a new 800-amp electrical service, and a backup generator were installed. Nearly all the historic leaded glass windows in the facility were fitted with storm windows and insulation where feasible.
The project timeline was very tight, as the building had to be back on-line in time for the fall start of the Huguenot Nursery School in September 2012. Ground was broken in April and the project, initially estimated to take six months, was operational by that October. The overall work was completed and fully commissioned by the spring of 2013. The new system is cleaner, much more functional and efficient, and more environmentally friendly than the old one.
The church raised funds through a Capital Campaign (led by Jeff Keyser, Jeff Marcks, and Lance Koonce) and received a loan from the Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program. The project was expensive, at more than $2 million, but resulted in a 40 percent reduction in utility costs and significantly lower maintenance costs. The Geothermal project will continue to benefit the Sustainability of the Huguenot Church for generations to come.
Sources:
DJH Mechanical. “Success Story: Huguenot Memorial Church.” Mitsubishi Multi Geothermal Heat Pump System, 2014. Running time: 10:58. ihttps://djhmechanical.com/geothermal/
Facebook.com. “Huguenot Memorial Church in Pelham, NY, runs on geothermal! Tour the underground guts of the system with designer & installer Dennis Hazlehurst.” 2013. Posted 17 Oct 2017. Running time, 9:24. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=122915931711854
Jacob, Glenn. “Huguenot Church Installs Geothermal Energy System.” N.Y. Interfaith Power & Light. 5 Sept 2012. https://newyorkipl.org/huguenot-church-installs-geothermal-energy-system/
Klein, Maggie. “HMC Building Converted to Geothermal-Powered Heating and Cooling.” Pelham Weekly. Pelham Manor, NY. 8 June 2012.
Montgomery, Toni. “A Sustainable Mission. New York congregation’s broken boilers lead to renewed emphasis on environmental responsibility.” 13 June 2012. Statewide, NC.
Property Use Task Force (Chair Eric J. Smith, Bill Hoare, Jeff Keyser, Lance Koonce, Jeff Marcks), edited by Will Cheung, photos by Albert Clapsaddle. A Sustainable Huguenot: Geothermal Conversion Project, 2009-2013. Huguenot Memorial Church: Pelham, NY, 2016.