Responding to the call to be stewards of creation, the Diocese of East Tennessee is seeking to become carbon neutral by 2030. Join us in our work to increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and shrink our carbon footprint ahead of the 2030 goal.
Carbon Neutrality
About This Work
At the diocesan convention of February of 2024, the Diocese of East Tennessee voted to approve resolution #2024-05, “Resolution to further 2022 General Convention Resolution A087 by developing plans to achieve carbon-neutral facilities.” (Click here to read pages 42-43). The initiative, spearheaded by Courtney Shea of Church of the Good Shepherd, Knoxville, was given life in the form of the Carbon Neutral Task Force.
The task force is charged with developing information, resources and guidance regarding how each congregation and diocesan organization or ministry can develop a facility needs assessment to identify the actions necessary to enable its facilities and operations, with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The task force also reports yearly to the Diocesan Convention on its progress towards developing information, resources and guidance on the steps to pursue carbon net neutrality, on the progress made by congregations and diocesan organizations and ministries to develop facility needs assessments, and on any further recommendations to the Diocese regarding reducing facility energy use and increasing facility energy efficiency.
Below are resources, upcoming workshops, meetings, and other offerings to help parishes and communities reach these goals. Should you have any questions, please email carbonneutraltf@dioet.org for more information.
Resources
Below are resources for those seeking additional information about carbon neutrality.
- Episcopal Church and General Convention Resources
- TVA and EPA Resources
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Diocesan House Carbon Neutrality
As part of our journey toward carbon neutrality, the bishop’s office is seeking to lead the charge to carbon neutrality by 2030. Thus far, your diocesan staff have worked on the following projects:
- LED Lighting Conversion (COMPLETE) – All replaceable interior and exterior lighting has been converted to LED lighting.
- Dark Sky Parking Lot Lights (COMPLETE) – A timer was installed to limit the running hours of the parking lot and building exterior lights. Generally, the lights are off for a total of eight hours per night. The remainder of their operational time is governed by daylight levels.
- EV Charging Station (COMPLETE) – A two-car EV charging station was installed to provide charging to diocesan staff and guests.
- Motion Sensors for Lights (COMPLETE) – Motion sensors in low-use spaces have been installed to reduce electricity consumption. We have installed motion sensors in all feasible rooms of the diocesan office.
- Upgrade HVAC Controls (COMPLETE) – Smart programmable thermostats were recently installed to provide more even HVAC control across the building as well as controls for non-business hours. The building, thus far, is experiencing a greater efficiency in electrical use for our HVAC systems.
- Solar Panels (COMPLETE) – A proposal for solar panels has been received and Bishop & Council has approved the project. The project is designed as a 100% system with battery backup for critical loads (non-HVAC). Savings from the solar panel system will be reserved in a special Small Church Carbon Neutrality Fund. The system has been installed. It features 126 solar panels spread across the diocesan house roof along with a 60 KWh battery backup system. This system is designed to run in multiple modes.
- Replace Malfunctioning HVAC Unit (COMPLETE) – Replaced oldest HVAC unit with new unit on 3-phase power (old unit was on single phase). Unit has a slightly higher SEER rating and uses R-32 refrigerant instead of R-410A.
- Installing Open Cell Foam in Attic (COMPLETE) – During the diocesan convention energy efficiency tests, the old insulation in the diocesan house was a major factor in inefficiency. We have completed open cell foam insulation for the attic at the end of April 2026 with our partner at Koala Insulation. This sealed the envelope of the building, increasing efficiency and climate comfort. An energy audit with TVA will be completed in May to verify improvements.
- Carbon Offsets (IN-DISCOVERY) – While we strive to reduce our utility consumption, there will always be a positive carbon footprint with normal operations. We are researching the best avenues for carbon offset credits to bring our operations to neutral.
- Diocesan-wide Carbon Footprint Calculations (IN-PROCESS) – As part of the annual parochial personnel updates, we have asked parishes to submit their utility data for Scope 2 emissions calculations. Submissions are due at the end of April 2026.
For more information on the diocesan house’s projects and research, please reach out to Bro. Andrew at amorehead@dioet.org.
Carbon Footprint Calculations and Reporting
Below is the diocesan carbon footprint calculator. Please use this tool for reporting your community’s data. The form will automatically calculate your footprint information. Once completed, you will receive a PDF of the entries. Your data will be entered into our diocesan-wide carbon footprint tracker as we strive for carbon neutrality by 2030. For questions about this form, email Bro. Andrew at amorehead@dioet.org.