Green Gauge: Your Pathway to a Better Way of Living
We’re dispelling the myth that greening your home is time and money consuming by offering a clear and straightforward approach. Green Gauge, a residential green building program, offers affordable assessments of existing homes. The first of its kind in the state, the program will help North Carolina residents save money, reduce energy use and live in homes that are healthier for their families and the environment.
Green Gauge assesses how green a home actually is. It’s the perfect comparison tool for buyers or sellers of green homes and for homeowners and renters needing recommendations on how to make their home healthier.
Participants will gain a greater understanding of their:
- Energy Use: heating and air conditioning, lighting, appliances, insulation
- Water Use: sinks, showers, appliances
- Material Sustainability: flooring, cabinets, decking
- Indoor Air Quality: mold, radon, chemical emissions
- Site: walkability, native and edible plants, stormwater management
Homeowners, builders, contractors, realtors, city planners, inspectors, and environmental, community and human service nonprofits all benefit from this new innovative program.
Interested in receiving a Green Gauge assessment or getting the word out to your clients? Contact our Executive Director, Sam Ruark-Eastes, at sam@wncgbc.org or 828-254-1995 to get started.
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Rolling Out the Solar Carpet
The 50 meter long solar panel is rolled up in the back of a trailer. Photograph: Felix Clay for The Guardian
John Hingley of UK-based Renovagen, an innovative renewable energy solutions and products company, has developed a “micro-grid” in a metal box. These on-the-go solar panels can be used for everything from disaster relief to mining to music festivals. Any non-permanent location where quiet energy is needed is a fit.
According to the feature on The Guardian, the portable carpet-like solar system, stores generated energy in batteries in the steel housing. Its uses include disaster relief where power systems have been knocked out, military forces on the move, and mining stations located in areas without any power. "The market for off grid energy is huge and growing - 24% of the world is off grid but everyone needs energy these days," said Hingley.
The solar carpet can be easily rolled out in just a couple minutes with a vehicle, but can also be done by hand with the help of a small team.
The company is working on the next generation of models. An initial prototype featured a capacity of 6KW, which is about twice that of a solar array on a typical family home. Hingley and his team are developing the next system which will have a capacity of up to 18KW.
Check out the full story and see how these panels roll out.
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Noteworthy Educational Opportunity
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Wednesday, March 30th
Building Green Real Estate Certification Course
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In an effort to educate industry professionals on construction-related material from codes and energy efficiency, to green appraisals and lending, to selling green homes, this course has been created by professionals for professionals! Builders, real estate agents and general contractors will gain the latest knowledge on the best green building practices. The course consists of an initial one-day intensive to qualify for the certification. Topics include Green/Best Management Practices, Warranties, Marketing High Performance Homes and Builder/ REALTOR® Communications.
Builders who have completed the course are eligible for $200 permit rebates on projects in both the City and the County.
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Huge thanks to JAG & Associates Construction for stepping up their WNC Green Building Council membership level from Platinum to Leadership Circle.
Every home JAG has ever built has been certified through our Green Built NC program. JAG stresses green and energy efficiency from their product selection to the construction process. Their homes exceed the 15% efficiency upgrade required by ENERGY STAR®, typically achieving a 30% to 60% energy efficiency premium.
Thank you for sending a powerful message that you value our community's well-being and our environment.
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