Slideshow image

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

September 20, 2024 

 

St. Paul Lutheran Church receives $39,860 from West Penn Energy Fund 

for Energy Efficiency Upgrades 

 

PINE GROVE MILLS – St. Paul Lutheran Church received a $39,860 grant from the West Penn Energy Fund (WPEF) to put toward reducing energy usage. The grant will fund the purchase and installation of 13 Ventana Select windows and one heat pump water heater from PBCI-Allen Mechanical and Electrical, at its 277 West Pine Grove Road location.  

 

St. Paul intends to reinvest the money saved through energy reduction into supporting its community programs, such as the Pine Grove Mills Farmers Market, held every Thursday from June through September. The Pine Grove Mills Farmers Market is one of the few farmers markets in Centre County that accepts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. In addition to hosting the Ferguson Township Farmers Market, the church also provides space for numerous community clubs and organizations to meet, including the Dyslexia Center, community groups and camps, scout troops and American Red Cross blood drives. 

 

The installation of the Ventana windows and the new water heater were recommended as a result of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Level 1 Energy Audit conducted at the church last year by Envinity. a State College-based energy efficiency company, will also install the windows. The work is set to begin in November.  

 

“I am excited for Saint Paul being selected for this grant opportunity,” said Paul Tomkiel, pastor of St Paul. “This grant will allow our congregation to better live into our conviction that the mindful and responsible stewardship of resources is a key part of being faithful stewards of what God has given us.” 

 

Ventana Select windows have triple-pane glass and a maximum U-value of 0.19 to limit BTU loss. The 13 windows being replaced will be located in high-usage areas of the church – the lobby, office, fellowship hall and parlor. Located in Export, Pennsylvania, Ventana is one of the world’s leading providers of specialty windows whose products typically exceed U.S. standards. 

 

Envinity also recommended that St. Paul replace its existing hot water electric radiant hot water heater, which was installed when the building was built in 1988. The system will be replaced with a premium heat pump system from PBCI-Allen Mechanical and Electrical, located in State College, which will increase performance and decrease energy consumption.  

Joel Morrison, West Penn Energy Fund Administrator, said: “We know how important this project is to St. Paul Lutheran Church. Our grant provides the church the technology to be more energy efficient within their facility and will reduce their operating costs. The money saved from these energy efficiency improvements will allow the church to support their many other community programs”.  

 

St. Paul Lutheran Church, which was organized in 1831, continues to be a local leader in Ferguson Township and the Pine Grove Mills community. In addition to hosting the Ferguson Township Farmers Market, the church also provides space for numerous community clubs and organizations to meet, including the Dyslexia Center, community theater groups, puppetry camps, scout troops and American Red Cross blood drives. The church also manages and operates the St. Paul Lutheran Church Cemetery, offering heavily discounted burial plots and columbarium niches. Visit www.stpaulpgm.org for more information.  

The West Penn Energy Fund (WPEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that invests in the deployment of sustainable energy technologies that benefit West Penn Power ratepayers in Pennsylvania. WPEF investments are focused in three broad categories:  

Deployment of sustainable and clean energy technologies;  

Deployment of energy efficiency and conservation technologies; and  

Facilitating economic development, environmental betterment, and public education as they relate to sustainable energy deployment in the WPP service region.  

Visit http://www.wppsef.org for further information.  

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:  

Jeff Muthler, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 814-237-2081 JeffMuthler@stpaulpgm.org 

Barbara Robuck, West Penn Energy Fund, 814-865-7380 WPEF@psu.edu 

 

###