ENERGY STAR for Congregations

An average worship facility can save up to 30 percent on energy through no-cost actions, strategic investment, and smart operations and maintenance.
This thoughtful stewardship of both member donations as well as natural resources can improve operations at your worship facility, save money, reduce pollution that is harmful to human life and health, protect our life-sustaining ecosystems, and conserve resources for future generations. Action on energy efficiency gives active life to the stewardship teachings of virtually every faith tradition and joins with EPA’s mission to protect human health. Through ENERGY STAR, EPA provides the tools, training, and technical support to help your congregation achieve and sustain a high level of stewardship.
To get started now, download the free Action Workbook for Congregations for a comprehensive pathway for action. The ENERGY STAR Treasure Map for Worship Facilities provides a quick step-by-step checklist for energy and water efficiency opportunities. Next, learn why the powerful, free Portfolio Manager is the national standard tool for understanding baseline energy and water use and for tracking your savings and pollution prevention. Visit the Portfolio Manager training center for more webinars, videos, slide sets, fact sheets, and a link to our highly rated Help Desk where you can always ask a question.
Then, help educate your congregational leadership and urge them to join ENERGY STAR as a partner at no cost or reporting obligation.
We also recommend the following recorded webinar for a high-level examination of the role the religious community plays in addressing climate change:
- Interfaith Panel on Climate Change, hosted by ENERGY STAR (67 min.)
Search for federal income tax credits and incentives for energy efficiency.
See which Congregations have earned the ENERGY STAR.
Co-brand Resources with ENERGY STAR
Religious denominations, local governments, utilities, Chambers of Commerce, associations and NGOs are invited to partner in providing efficiency resources to the community: Team Your Brand with the ENERGY STAR® Action Workbook: Co-branding Opportunities.

Resources for Congregations
Use these resources as planning guides for implementing cost-effective energy improvement projects for your house of worship.
- The ENERGY STAR Action Workbook for Congregations
- ENERGY STAR Manual de acción para las congregaciones
- ENERGY STAR Treasure Map for Worship Facilities
- EPA Resources for Small Businesses and Congregations
- Estimate health benefits of efficiency/renewables kWh savings
- Supporting Healthy Houses of Worship
- EPA Green Stormwater Solutions for Congregations (PDF, 13.9 M)
- Click here for more Tools and Resources
- See ENERGY STAR certified worship facilities
- Download the Data Collection worksheet for Portfolio Manager benchmarking
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ENERGY STAR Guide to Energy Audits for Faith Communities (PDF, 374 KB)