Article Category: Financial Incentives

Garret K. Woodward: Filling in the Gaps

Filling in the Gaps: Energy Savers Network Helps Low-Income Homes Garret K. Woodward   It was the basketball-sized hole in the dining room window that stuck out the most for Alice Wyndham. “It was the second house we worked on. He was a veteran who had cancer. His mother had...

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Amy Musser: Heat Pump Revolution

Welcome to the Heat Pump Revolution: The Benefits of Variable-Speed Heat Pumps Amy Musser   Sometimes the green-building industry evolves quickly, with a product making a quantum leap in efficiency. This is happening in 2018 with variable-speed heat pumps. These have been on the market for a couple of years,...

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Ned Ryan Doyle: Advanced Metering Infrastructure

Advanced Metering Infrastructure: The Next Generation of Energy Metering Comes to WNC Ned Ryan Doyle   AMI, shorthand for Advanced Metering Infrastructure, is being rolled out in the Western Carolinas this year for Duke Energy customers and is projected to be completed by mid-2019. So, what is AMI? Why does...

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Ryan Miller: Following Asheville’s Lead

Following Asheville’s Lead: Growing Green Building Across the State By Ryan Miller   Alright, Asheville. As the North Carolina city with the deepest market penetration and strongest consumer demand for green building, the rest of our state looks to you for inspiration and leadership in green building.  Many of the new...

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Maggie Leslie: Retrofit your home for energy efficiency

Retrofit Your Home for Energy Efficiency Maggie Leslie   The average American family spends about $1,500 a year on utility bills, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. This could be reduced dramatically by making a few adjustments and improvements. Some energy-saving measures are simple and inexpensive, while others more complex...

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Garret K. Woodward: Downsizing your home, upgrading your life

Downsizing your home, upgrading your life By Garret K. Woodward   It wasn’t the initial idea Josh Scala had in mind. “This is the smallest certified green built house in North Carolina,” he said. “Which was not the original plan, but as the thing started to progress, it just turned...

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John McDermott: Design Elements of a Net-Zero Home

Design Elements of a Net-Zero Home John McDermott   Building a green or sustainable home is becoming a common practice in Western North Carolina. Taking the home to the level of net-zero energy is now within reach for many green building projects. Having a net-zero energy (NZE) home means that...

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Maggie Leslie: Incentives for Building Green

Incentives for Building Green Maggie Leslie   Utility incentives ■ In 2007, the North Carolina legislature passed a Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard, which requires utilities to increase their use of renewable energy and offer incentives for energy efficiency. Utility providers are now offering impressive incentive programs to meet those requirements....

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Garret K. Woodward: Getting Through Winter on $28

Getting Through Winter on $28 Garret K. Woodward   James McGarvey shakes his head. “I cringe when I hear somebody is paying more than $50 a year to heat a house in Western North Carolina,” the 68-year-old said. "We have learned from building science that with a near perfect thermal/pressure envelope,...

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Dan Clere: Our Path to Net Zero

Our Path to Net Zero: One Family’s Effort to Live Their Truth Dan Clere   My wife and I have chosen to prioritize our home as the lynchpin of our effort to live more sustainably.   It is hard to overstate the impact our homes have on the amount of...

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