2023 was a good year for the Hillcrest facility as we had a year filled with ministries and activities. A busy building means the Facilities Team and I are busy trying to stay on top of cleaning, room setups, room scheduling, the never ending maintenance and seasonal jobs. It keeps the team busy but it doesn’t make for interesting or exciting yearly reports. I will highlight the Solar Project and the Kitchen Remodel below in more detail.
I am thankful for the staff team that I have to work with and for the great volunteers that I can call on for help and advice. It continues to be my privilege to serve as Facility and IT Director here at HIllcrest Church. Please reach out to me if you have an questions or concerns with the facility or property.
Grant Boyd
Solar System Review
The Solar system produced very well in 2023 in large part due to the weather and few weeks of snow cover on the panels. Surplus kilowatts of production are sent to the City of Medicine Utilities department where it is used as kilowatt trade in the months we do not have enough solar production. This balance of kilowatts was sufficient to offset our consumption over the winter months. Hillcrest did not have to buy any kilowatts of electricity in 2023.
2023 was a record high year for the cost of electricity in Alberta and specifically in Medicine Hat. When we compare on a monthly basis what our building consumed for electricity at the monthly rate Hillcrest would have paid significantly more than the cost of the loan. Which means we are saving more then it is costing us.
I won’t be sharing specific dollar amounts in this report but I would be happy to provide more in-depth information for any Hillcrest member that would like it. Contact me directly for more details. Grant Boyd. Facilities Director
Kitchen Remodel
The kitchen has served Hillcrest well for a lot of years with no significant upgrades, and it was showing its age. We started the process of identifying items that needed repair, areas that could be more efficient ways to make it easier for kitchen volunteers. Workflow, storage and sinks were the areas we felt we could make improvements on.
This project was completed with a budget that was much lower than many thought possible because of a few volunteers who provided their skills and knowledge in construction, plumbing, concrete, commercial kitchens and their labor. Thank you to everyone who helped with this project.
The walls were covered with waterproof wall board and new flooring was installed. The large center island was replaced with stainless steel worktables and prep sinks. A new handwashing sink was installed along with a new 2 tub wash sink with drainboards.
Volunteers working in the kitchen have found the new layout to be functional and more efficient with many less steps required to move around the island.
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