The DAC has developed a Heating Toolkit and Heating Checklist to guide PCCs through the process of seeking the best sustainable heating system for their church building or hall.
Please click here to download the guidance.
Please click here to download the checklist (.PDF).
Please click here to download the checklist (.WORD)
Mapping renewable energy
The Church Heritage Record is a national online system to share information about church buiildings and now includes a map showing those that use renewable energy sources such as heat pumps, biomass boilers, solar panels or wind turbines. It will soon be updated to include the introduction of electric vehicle charging points. No login is required to view this information. If your church has any of these facilities already, please check the map to see if they are shown, and if not, use this online form to request an addition to the map.
In today's climate, with increased recognition of the impact that our actions are having on the environment, planning for sustainability is important for all PCCs to consider when thinking through works in their churches. General Synod has made a commitment for the Church of England as a whole to have net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Some changes (such as improvements to the energy efficiency of lighting) can be made relatively easily and cheaply. Other changes will be more of a challenge, but the DAC is doing all it can to assist and encourage PCCs to introduce changes that will be of longer term benefit for the operation of their buildings as well as for the wider environment.
Guidance is currently being developed at national level and at diocesan level to help individual parishes to play their part in achieving the goal of reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency. This guidance is expected to be released in 2020. In the meantime, please see below a link to the environmental pages of the diocesan website, which provide some helpful guidance about how PCCs can start to plan systems for their churches which are efficient and minimise the impact on the environment: