ELFEC Partner Grant Impact at Good Sheperd Coquitlam

This year, under Gail Tremain’s leadership, the Outreach Team obtained an ELFEC partner grant to upgrade Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Coquitlam’s fluorescent fixtures to energy efficient LED tubes. ELFEC's partner Grant Program purpose is to address social needs and/or environmental impact in their church community, as well as support for projects and new mission initiatives for their greater community.

The upgrade at Good Shepherd, completed in July 2020, significantly reduces the church’s carbon footprint associated with lighting needs. Besides reducing overall energy consumption by 56%, the new LED tubes operate without a ballast and last 35,000+ hours, compared to the 7,500 hours for the ‘old’ fluorescent tubes. Since these new tubes are directly connected to the power source, there is no more flickering due to ballast discharge, and the use of a “natural white” LED tube provides a bright pleasant atmosphere.

Annual electricity savings are expected to be in the order of $800 to $1000, and considerable savings in human resources are expected due to the longevity of the tubes and the elimination of the need for ballast replacement. Furthermore, this lighting upgrade provides a host of future environmental benefits that we normally would not really think of: reduced glass, ballast, and plastic waste, and the elimination of mercury pollution. Remarkably, a 56% reduction in energy demand impacts the long term need for more dam construction and the associated flooding of forested areas.  With the help of the grant, Good Shepherd can celebrate taking this first step toward reaching the collective goal proposed by the National church of zero Lutheran carbon emission by 2050!  

Submitted by: Gail Tremain and Louis Giguère- Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Coquitlam’s Council Member and Caretaker, retired