An Energy Oscar for 2008 was awarded to the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica in the field of “Energy Efficiency and Conservation,-” by California Interfaith Power and Light. Runners up were Congregation Kol Shofar in Tiburon and Stephen S. Wise Temple in LA.
Sandra Trutt and Leslie Reuter, co-chairs of the Green Sanctuary Committee accepted the award at a ceremony in Berkeley on December 4 on behalf of their church.
The Unitarians were honored for their efforts in remodeling the cottage on their property to LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) standards, completing a church building energy audit, replacing 75 percent of their incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and selling CFL bulbs to members in their congregation while also collecting the spent bulbs to facilitate proper disposal.
Other 2008 winners were: Holy Nativity Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, for Education; Congregation Beth El of Berkeley, for Green Building; St. John’s Episcopal Church of Oakland, for Advocacy.
The 2007 winner for Energy Efficiency and Conservation was Loyola Marymount University.
