Below are several video clips from a self-guided tour of the Green Initiatives undertaken by Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minnesota.
You can walk around the church and find various QR codes that will show the video clips below, highlighting green initiatives undertaken. Church visitors are encouraged to take this self-guided tour and contact our Green Committee if you have questions or are interested in making similar upgrades to your home, business, or place of worship.
Oak Grove Electric Vehicles and EV Expos
Why is the switch to electric vehicles so critical to our future? Watch this video to learn more. (And yes, Oak Grove has EV charging stations.)
Solar Energy
Solar energy is a cleaner way to power your daily electrical needs, and it’s getting more affordable every year. If you drive past Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, you’ll see over 40 solar panels on our roof. Learn more about solar power, cool shingles, and solar gardens in this video clip.
Re-use/Recycle/Compost
Oak Grove is committed to recycling and composting. We’ve also gotten creative with ways to re-purpose items that may have otherwise ended up in a garbage pile. Watch the video below to learn more about our efforts, and how easy they are to implement elsewhere.
Rain Gardens
Rain gardens act as natural filters, removing impurities from water before it reaches our lakes, rivers, and streams. Rain gardens also provide homes for pollinators. Watch the video below to learn more about Oak Grove’s two rain gardens and their ease of maintenance.
LED Lighting Retrofit
Oak Grove has retrofitted the incandescent lighting in our building to use LED instead. The long-term benefits and cost-savings are significant and on-going. Watch the video below to learn more about why Oak Grove is committed to LED lighting, both indoors and in our parking lot.
Insulation/Weatherization
Large buildings do NOT have to be drafty. What happens between your ceiling and roof impacts not only your monthly energy bills, but also your roof’s structural integrity. Oak Grove paid for an efficiency audit, and our amazing volunteers then took the results and performed over $30,000 worth of labor to insulate and weatherize our building.
Air Source Heat Pumps
Oak Grove needed a better heating and cooling solution for our Youth Room. We installed a heat pump and are very pleased with the results. Here are some reasons to consider using a heat pump when replacing your furnace or air conditioner in the future.