Staying cool in Florida is tough in the summertime but it gets extremely difficult when the church air-conditioning unit needs to be replaced. Crestview United Methodist Church experienced this predicament in 2013 and decided to begin the loan process with the Alabama-West Florida United Methodist Development Fund to replace their existing geothermal air conditioning unit system.
Crestview’s geothermal air conditioning system was installed over 17 years ago and had saved the church over $300,000 in electric bills. It was a system that saved the church money each month on their electrical bills but had experienced enough wear and tear to need replacement.
As a church that values hospitality, Crestview understands the importance of having a welcoming environment to its congregation and visitors. The portion of the air-conditioning unit that stopped working was in the sanctuary and children’s wing. Crestview wanted to fix the unit quickly because summer is a busy time in their community with new military families moving to town and wanting to find a church for their whole family to attend.
The church was familiar with the United Methodist Development Fund and the loan process. Reverend Michael Precht says that the church received an excellent rate and a pleasant experience. Making the choice to receive a loan from the Development Fund was a “no-brainer.”
The loan allowed Crestview to replace the entire geothermal field with composite materials to eliminate the problem, resulting in an approximate savings of $500 a month on their electric bills. Gulf Power also acknowledged the church by awarding them an award for energy efficiency, environmental friendliness, and frugality.
If your church would like more information on building maintenance loans from the Alabama-West Florida United Methodist Development Fund, please contact Executive Director, Terri Turner at [email protected] or by calling 334-793-6820.
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