Wisconsin Church Chooses Comfort, Efficiency in New Boiler System

Reedsville, Wis. – A Reedsville church made the decision to replace its aging boilers before the start of another Wisconsin winter and, as a result, will keep its parishioners warm and energy bills lower for years to come.

Immaculate Conception of BVM – St. Mary’s Catholic Church was established in 1865. Like many older religious buildings, the church’s heating and cooling equipment needed regular maintenance and required unexpected service calls to keep it running properly. In short, the old boilers heating the building were failing.  

Church staff asked Lakeshore Heating & Sheet Metal, LLC, in Manitowoc, to give them options for updating the boilers. The company, a Focus on Energy Trade Ally contractor, gave the church proposals for standard-efficiency and high-efficiency boilers, and made sure church staff knew they would receive a financial incentive from Focus on Energy if they went with the high-efficiency option.   

Taking into account the financial incentive and greater energy savings, St Mary’s had Lakeshore Heating install two high-efficiency boilers in July.  

“I was extremely pleased with the way that the men from Lakeshore Heating and Sheet Metal, LLC worked to remove the old boilers and install the high-efficiency boilers, along with a small hot water heater for the church. They did an excellent job in cleaning up the boiler room and checking to see that the system worked properly,” said Father Richard Klingeisen. “I was also very pleased to see the Focus on Energy incentive check come to the church so quickly.”

St. Mary’s received an $8,230 incentive from Focus on Energy to help offset its investment in the more efficient equipment, which will also save the church around $2,300 annually in avoided energy costs. Over its lifetime, the energy-efficient equipment is projected to save 63,401 therms of natural gas, which has the carbon dioxide emissions equivalent of 367,490 pounds of burned coal.

St. Mary’s Church is a customer of WPS, one of the 107 Wisconsin utilities that partner with Focus on Energy. Residential, business and other customers of those partnering utilities are eligible for the energy expertise and financial incentives Focus on Energy provides.

A third-party evaluation noted Wisconsin runs the most cost-effective energy efficiency programs in the nation. It also found every $1 invested in Focus on Energy generates more than $5 in benefits for Wisconsin, including economic benefits, reduced pollution and reduced energy costs.

About Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy is Wisconsin utilities' statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program funded by the state's investor-owned energy utilities and participating municipal and electric cooperative utilities. Focus on Energy works with eligible Wisconsin residents and businesses to install cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Focus on Energy information, resources and financial incentives help to implement projects that otherwise would not be completed. Its efforts help Wisconsin residents and businesses manage rising energy costs, promote in-state economic development, protect our environment and control Wisconsin's growing demand for electricity and natural gas. For more information call 800.762.7077 or visit focusonenergy.com.

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Photo: St. Mary's Church in Reedsville, Wis.