Hermitage Hills Baptist is a church based in Nashville, Tennessee. For the last three years, Mike Brown, the facility manager, has been serving the church and working to improve the campus. We interviewed Brown about his experience working with PCE.
How did the church first hear about Power of Clean Energy?
When I started in the position of facility manager, I talked to my predecessor about ways to continually improve our building. He mentioned PCE and how they help churches reduce their utility costs. I went to PCE’s website, learned more about all the successful projects the company has completed, and contacted a few of their references.
What challenges or problems was the church experiencing at the time?
One of my primary goals, as a facility manager, was to look for energy savings. In my previous role, I oversaw an LED lighting conversion project that yielded significant savings for that organization.
From that experience, I knew addressing the church’s lighting was low-hanging fruit and that a similar conversion at Hermitage Hills would save our church a ton of money on energy bills. I just had to find the right people.
What was the church looking for in a solution?
First, we wanted to save money. But equally important, we needed to find a commercial lighting expert who could address everything, even the technical parts of the church, such as the sanctuary. We needed to be sure, if we took on the project, that we were working with the right group that could customize a project and manage all of our needs.
PCE was the right company because they walked us through the energy savings, in addition to designing and developing a custom sanctuary solution, which brought us a lot of peace of mind.
Coincidentally, our aging dimming panel failed right in the middle of the process. We were thankful that PCE tackled the challenge quickly and integrated the new dimming system on short notice.
What made PCE’s solution stand out over others that you researched?
When comparing PCE to other companies, there were a few things that made PCE stand out. The first thing was their references from other churches. PCE has robust lists of references that I was able to call and hear about their experience working with PCE.
The cost of the project was reasonable, especially given the amount of work required in the sanctuary. The overall attitude and demeanor of the PCE team also helped us be more at ease, knowing that they were going to take care of us throughout the project.
Were there any issues during the installation process?
At the church, we have unique lighting across the campus, so finding the right product for the right situation required a great deal of due diligence. Thankfully, PCE found solutions that not only looked great but were also cost-effective.
Also, any lights PCE encountered during installation that required a different solution or design than what was originally anticipated, they replaced with a better solution.
How has the project performed since completion?
The project has been a great success. Our church members love the brighter, flicker-free lighting, and it’s great to not have to worry about bulbs and ballasts failing.
PCE was efficient in the installation and had low-impact scheduling. We barely knew they were there. Also, our AV team loves the ability to customize each light in the sanctuary on Sundays.
What would you tell other churches about your experience working with PCE?
I would do it again in a heartbeat. It’s been a pleasure working with the Power of Clean Energy team. They were informative and professional from the initial conversation all the way to the completion of the project.
PCE is proud to partner with churches to make a true impact and live out what it means to be true stewards of the earth. They believe that being good stewards of the earth means doing everything in their power to care for and preserve the earth, while saving their mission-driven clients money, www.powerofcleanenergy.com.
