Motion sensors

• Humans are quite imperfect, especially when it comes to turning things off. Use motion sensors: dispensers for paper towels and soap in bathrooms; for urinal flush valves on toilets and urinals; for lights in halls, bathrooms, classrooms, and offices; and thermostats in classrooms and offices.
• Motion sensors save money by ensuring that lights and thermostats are on only when a human is present; that toilets get flushed; that only a specific amount of paper towel and soap is dispensed; and that lights are on only when people are moving around.
• It costs money to install these, but they pay for themselves in both dollars and in public relations. The average payback is about 12-18 months for motion sensors for lighting.
• Motion sensors for lights have cut the electric bills for one of my clients by 20% per year. Members think it is cool that their church is so progressive; they like to “show off” their church and talk about how “green” we are.

Lead On!

Steve

Energy savings and energy-efficient systems

• Lighting
  • Most buildings have 4-foot fluorescent lamps – change T-12 lamps to T-5s (and in a few years, once the price has come down, to LEDs).
  • In drop ceilings, remove 2×2 fluorescent fixtures and replace them with 2×4 lay-in fixtures with T-5s.
  • T-5s are 50% brighter and are 50% more energy-efficient than T-12s which saves money and helps the environment.
  • Reducing the different types of lamps reduces the amount of inventory needed on the shelf.
• HVAC Equipment
  • Over time this very, very expensive equipment will need to be replaced. In the past few years, the industry (at government prodding) has developed machines which are far more energy-efficient than ones from decades past.
  • These energy-efficient pieces come with a price, sometimes twice the cost of less efficient ones. A truly efficient HVAC piece will have a payback period of 7 years or less. Talk with the vendor to see studies about the ROI (return on investment) time period.
  • Energy is only going to get more expensive over the next several decades. A wise church will make an investment today in energy-efficient equipment so that they’ll pay less in fuel over the 20-30 year lifespan of the machine.
• Here are ways to make this happen financially:
  • Pay for the work from two fiscal years by having the work done at the end of one fiscal year but billed in consecutive months across fiscal years.
  • Pay for the work out of two separate budget lines: the maintenance budget and the utilities budget. Since the utilities expense will be less, it is reasonable for the utilities to absorb some of the initial cost knowing that in subsequent years there will be cost savings.
  • Use funds left over at the end of a fiscal year, which can and should be put back into the facilities of the church. (see “capital-ize”section)
  • Do both of the above, paying out of two fiscal years and two budget lines. That spreads the expense.
  • Continue the above approach until all projects are done.

Lead On!

Steve

Flooring: carpet versus vinyl tile

• When deciding what kind of flooring to put in an area, first look at the use and foot traffic of that space. Areas that are pass-throughs such as hallways have, by definition, more traffic than destinations, such as offices or rooms.
• Hallways should have vinyl tile or some other hard surface
  • Durable floor surfaces are the priority because of the heavy foot traffic, and hard surfaces have a lifespan that is double or triple that of carpet
  • Hallways are noisy but sound control is not a priority
  • They should be easy to clean since there is more potential for people to spill things on the floor
• Classrooms and offices should have carpet or some other sound-absorbent material
  • There is a great need for sound control so that those seated in the space can hear each other
  • Carpets make rooms feel warmer and more welcome
  • Carpets in rooms will last for years because there is less foot traffic than in a hallway

Lead On!

Steve

Grouping rooms in use for energy savings

• In facilities with multiple HVAC units for different areas of the building, schedule all weekday meetings (insofar as possible) in the same area of the building so that you use only one or two HVAC units.
• Help members who insist on using another room see the benefits to the church of saving on energy by meeting next door to another group.

Lead On!

Steve

Scheduling Vendor Visits

• Tradespeople have a habit of showing up whenever it suits them. Work with your suppliers to establish a specific date and time for each visit.
  • Setting up dates and times will help the church manage who is on its campus (a prudent security action especially if there are children at the church).
  • Planning visits enables the administrator to set aside time to work on a specific issue instead of being torn between items demanding his/her attention at the same time.
  • Setting up dates and times for the trades is also a benefit to the vendors’ scheduling processes.
• Bumping vendors because of funerals
  • All vendors need to be informed at the outset of a contract that if they are working on a project, they might be bumped if there is a funeral. Funerals are always unknown events but they are priorities.
  • Negotiate up front who will bear any expense regarding lost productivity due to a funeral–the church or the vendor. The vendor may be able to work at another customer’s location on the day of the funeral.

Lead On!

Steve

Learn the Industry Jargon/Lingo

• Every trade (plumbing, electrical, carpentry, HVAC, roofing, etc.) has terminology that is inherent only to that trade. They also have words that are common to all of them just because they are in the construction business.
• Administrators will help themselves if they can learn the vocabulary used in the construction business and within each trade; they don’t have to know it all, but they should know enough to be able to understand the specifics of that trade.
• Knowing the lingo of a trade will also help keep the administrator from feeling that he or she is getting taken advantage of by some person wanting to overwhelm or baffle the administrator.
• Most tradespeople will appreciate that the administrator can speak their language so they don’t have to interpret everything they say.

Lead On!

Steve

Bidding

• Every 3 to 5 years, put contracts out to bid. This includes EVERYTHING from the food supplier, elevator, dumpster, commercial property insurance, copiers, postage meter, financial audit, custodian supplies, etc.
• Some companies are so hungry they’ll cut prices to get enough business to keep their employees.
• Some companies are willing to do anything just to keep good customers which could even mean revamping a contract halfway through its term.
• Examples of savings from some clients:
  • Commercial property insurance was reduced by 42%
  • A smaller and cheaper postage meter was obtained because more mail was sent electronically
  • The new copier contract permitted an upgrade to a color machine for less than the previous price of a black-and-white machine
  • The bank reduced its fees just to retain the relationship
• In every instance, insist that the savings not affect the quality of service

Lead On!

Steve

Meetings with Vendors

• Meet with major vendors about once a quarter or every six months—just enough so you know each other and so you have a direct interest in what they are doing for you.
• If you have any questions, don’t wait for a meeting; send an email or call them. It might lead to a meeting, or it might be handled by phone or email.
• Very early in the relationship, establish your expectations for the vendor. This includes when you should be notified about replacements or repairs, a price point below which the vendors do not need to get your authorization, how often you all will meet, and anything else that can improve what the vendor can and should do for the church.

Lead On!

Steve