Denver Church Celebrates the Past Embraces the Future with Heat Pumps

In 2022, New Hope Baptist Church got its first notice about the city's Energize Denver Building Performance Policy. The church's longtime facilities manager Don handed the notice to his assistant Walter, and said, "Here, take care of this."

Those five words launched Walter - and the church - on a transformative journey.

Founded over a century ago in City Park West, New Hope Baptist Church moved to North Park Hill in 1993 to accommodate its growing congregation. Today, its 25,000-square-foot building is filled with photos honoring generations of Black Denverites who have called the church home. That history is cherished-but the building's size also made it subject to Energize Denver's energy efficiency requirements.

"At first, I didn't want to do it," Walter admitted. "But then you see a $1,500 utilities bill, and you think, 'we really need to get that down! That money could be going to help people in our community.'"

So, he got to work - with support and help from the church's Trustee Board, Finance Team, and Deacons. The first job was to see how far the building was from its energy efficiency target. They did an accounting of the building's energy use and found that they would have to reduce their energy use by about 30% to reach their Energize Denver goal. The next job was to figure out what they could do to achieve those energy savings.

The Board of Trustees applied for the church to join Denver's Compliance Assistance Program for nonprofits and other buildings serving the community. This set them up to get extra assistance with annual paperwork and with finding funding and financing for energy efficiency upgrades.

Then came a game-changer: a city pilot program offering guidance for heat pump retrofits. Walter applied - he knew heat pumps would be much more efficient than their aging HVAC units. But the church relied on gas-fired rooftop units, which aren't the first equipment most people think to replace with heat pumps. The heat pump pilot program helped Walter choose the right heat pump rooftop units to install, and rebates from the city would cover most of the costs, a huge boon for a church that relies on donations.

The church has replaced five of their gas-fired rooftop units with heat pump rooftop units so far. The swaps have gone a long way to improve the comfort in the church. "I've stopped hearing complaints about the temperature. You only hear about it when it goes wrong. So, no complaints is a good thing!"

The work Walter and church leadership has done so far has paid off in more than just comfort. New Hope Baptist Church is just one point away from their 2032 Energize Denver goal. They expect to reach it this year or next year - at least five years ahead of schedule.

Sharon Jaye, the program manager for Energize Denver, told us that New Hope Baptist Church is a great example of how electrification can help buildings with meeting their energy efficiency goals. "Energize Denver has never required buildings to replace their HVAC systems with heat pumps to meet the energy efficiency targets," she told us. "But it's a great option to consider, since they are so much more efficient than gas-fired HVAC equipment."

Walter has seen the monthly utilities bills go down too. "You start doing the work and then you see the results and know it's working," he told us. "We're only paying about $1,000 a month on utilities now." That means the church has about $6,000 extra to spend on community programs every year.

The rooftop unit replacements have been going so well that the church plans to replace the remaining six gas-fired rooftop units over the next few years. "We want to electrify," Walter told us, "When you look at the mechanics between a heat pump and gas-fired HVAC equipment, the choice is just so obvious."

They aren't stopping there. They've already replaced one water heater with a heat pump water heater and will be replacing the other one as well. They'll be installing a white cover on the roof and will eventually install solar there as well. "That one point will be absolutely no problem with what we've got planned! In the end, we're going to be doing way better than our [Energize Denver] goal!"

By embracing energy efficiency, New Hope Baptist Church is honoring its legacy while ensuring a sustainable future for its congregation and community.