Below are the articles from our most recent editions of the Green Built Directory. You can also find articles from our older publications in the menu on the right organized by category and year.
Directory Articles
Energy Audit and Inspections
Energy Audit and Inspections
A little help from our government (and industry): Tax incentives offer enticements to go green
A little help from our government (and industry): Tax incentives offer enticements to go green By Matt Siegel on 03/13/2013 Government can be somewhat unpredictable, and by the time you read this, the programs listed here may be outdated. Hopefully, there will be even more incentives than I list here. Fortunately,...
Ashevillage: A Living Laboratory
Ashevillage: A Living Laboratory By Jo-Jo Jackson on 03/13/2013 Cozy refurbishment: Much of Ashevillage’s interior touches comes from reclaimed materials, from the curtain materials to the earthen paints and plasters. (Pictured: garden coordinator Sunil Patel, left, and Ashevillage founder Janell Kapoor) Photos by Max Cooper Push the envelope beyond green living and...
A green living curve: Success and challenges for the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center
A green living curve: Success and challenges for the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center By Tracy Rose on 03/13/2013 Trial and error: After five years maintaining the LEED-certified Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center, staff have learned through trial and error which green features are working best and which need adjustment, says Brandon...
Living in the Nauhaus: An efficiency success story
Living in the Nauhaus: An efficiency success story By Darren and Stephanie Dahl on 03/13/2013 Green, inside and out: A small home that incorporates passive-solar designs inside and out makes for an energy-efficient, comfortable abode. The Nauhaus features such green-building applications as 16-inch walls made with hempcrete. Our Nauhaus experience began in...
Clean, green energy policy
Clean, green energy policy by Joan Walker on 03/13/2013 North Carolina’s utilities are delivering energy that is reliable, increasingly cleaner and relatively cheap in comparison to other states. And in recent years, energy is becoming a larger economic driver that employs our citizens in every county. Innovation and free-market competition...
Solar-driven future
Solar-driven future By Stan Cross on 03/13/2013 Charged: There are 20 EV charging locations in the Asheville metro area, including this one at Asheville’s Public Works building on Charlotte Street. Photos by Brightfield Transportation Solutions We’re living in a time when concerns about energy security, climate change and global economic stability occupy...
Recipes for cleanliness
Recipes for cleanliness By Suzanne Wuelfing on 03/13/2013 Cleaner sponges: To easily kill bacteria on kitchen sponges, place a wet sponge into the microwave and run on high for two minutes. In a study published in the Journal of Environmental Health, researchers evaluated the effects of zapping sponges and plastic scrubbing pads...
A drop in the river
A drop in the river By Nancy Hodges on 03/13/2013 Rainy-day project: A team of volunteers installs a rain garden that will capture and treat stormwater. Photo courtesy of RiverLink Water management in our urban landscape has typically focused on getting water away from structures and to a pipe or stream...
Seed money
Seed money By Jane Hatley on 03/13/2013 Thanks to a $600 Self-Help loan, a homeowner is weatherizing her home as part of the Neighbor Saves program. Thanks to a $600 Self-Help loan, a homeowner is weatherizing her home as part of the Neighbor Saves program. What do a 1,500-acre tract of...