With an eye to a greener future, a landmark fixture in Salisbury's historic district is transforming its centuries-old building into a model of energy efficiency through a strategic partnership with Eversource. Following a comprehensive energy retrofit, the Congregational Church of Salisbury significantly reduced its carbon footprint and created a more enjoyable environment for its 175 parishioners while preserving its timeless New England architecture.
The goal of the church's Green Task Force, established in 2020 as part of its commitment to sustainability, was to upgrade the building's inefficient heating and cooling systems without compromising the integrity of the historic structure. To help the church accomplish these upgrades, Eversource provided a $75,000 incentive, enabling a partnership with a local utility-approved contractor to retrofit the space's LED lighting, replace two boilers with air source heat pumps, and install a heat pump water heater. Additionally, the church installed 34 kW of removable solar panels, and a publicly available EV charging station. The upgrades were completed in close collaboration with the town's Historic District Commission to integrate the new technology while preserving the building's architectural significance.
"Working with Eversource was seamless," said Congregational Church of Salisbury Pastor John Nelson. "For our congregation, environmental stewardship is an extension of our faith and values. This project allowed us to create a more comfortable space for our parishioners without compromising our building's 200-year history, all while demonstrating that even historic institutions can lead the way in energy efficiency."
As a result of these upgrades, the church has completely eliminated its reliance on fossil fuels and is expected to see an estimated 11,800 kWh in annual electricity savings, as well as a lifetime reduction of over 400 metric tons of CO2 emissions - equivalent to removing the greenhouse gases produced by an average gasoline-powered vehicle driving over 1 million miles.
"This partnership is a testament to how energy efficiency upgrades can balance preservation with cost-effective modernization, creating a more comfortable environment for our community spaces while dramatically reducing their environmental impact," said Eversource Vice President of Energy Efficiency and Electric Mobility Tilak Subrahmanian. "Through thoughtful collaboration with church leadership, a trusted contractor, and the Historic District Commission, Eversource ensured that the integration of modern, energy-efficient technology respected the building's history. This project demonstrates how we can honor architectural heritage while embracing clean energy technologies that significantly reduce environmental impact and deliver meaningful bill savings."
Learn more about the energy efficiency programs available to businesses of all sizes.
Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is recognized as the #1 U.S. utility on TIME's List of World's Best Companies for 2024. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity to 1.3 million customers in 157 cities and towns, provides natural gas to 254,000 customers in 85 communities, and supplies water to approximately 225,000 customers in 60 communities across Connecticut. Eversource harnesses the commitment of more than 10,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The #1 Energy Efficiency Provider in the Nation, the company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com.
