Project Footprint!

Project Background

  • The United Church of Canada (UCC) approached Faith & the Common Good (FCG) and BuildGreen Solutions (BGS) to help in determining the feasibility of a carbon footprint reduction program for its portfolio of building across Canada, and if feasible, what the elements of a successful program might look like. 
  • Concurrently, the Ottawa Presbytery (OP) approached FCG with a similar request.  The request came out of a OP meeting in April of 2015, where a motion was approved to reduce their carbon footprint by 25% over a five year period.  As such, “Project Footprint!” was created.
  • Two separate, yet connected projects emerged:
  1. A feasibility study for a National Carbon Reduction Program for the United Church of Canada headed up by Lucy Cummings and Jenny McMinn from Build Green Solutions
  2. An energy baseline calculation and report specific to the Ottawa Presbytery

Our Involvement

FCG organized two ASHRAE level 2 energy audits – completed by Morrison Hershfield – for Rideau Park United and Centretown United churches (one of which also includes a net-zero study), in order to identify both minor and major energy efficiency opportunities. 

FCG then analyzed the results of the carbon baseline and the energy audits to determine the plausibility of the 25% reduction target and provide the OP with a detailed report.