Friday, December 18, 2009

Episcopal Diocese building goes green


From Wyoming- (Via Montana)

When it opened this week, the remodeled Episcopal Diocese in downtown Casper became one of only a handful of buildings in Wyoming to comply with nationally recognized green building guidelines.

The diocese incorporates principles from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design system, which aims to reduce a building’s impact on the environment. The remodel incorporated renewable and recycled materials, and equipped the building with energy-efficient heating and lighting systems.

“I think we just want to be good stewards of the environment,” said John Masters, executive director of the Episcopal Foundation for Wyoming, the nonprofit group behind the remodel.
In opting for a green building design, the foundation wanted to model good environmental practices to churches in the diocese, and the community as a whole, Masters said.
“They consciously made the decision that we would probably end up spending a little extra money, but we would have a model ... on what could be done with an old building,” he said.
The green design also keeps with the Episcopal Church’s national commitment to the environment, said Andrew Kerr, communication director for the Wyoming diocese.

During the remodel, workers installed an energy-efficient heating system in the roughly 50-year-old building and took advantage of as much natural light as possible, Masters said.

More here-

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_ef9a648c-eb90-11de-98df-001cc4c03286.html

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