Copy
Connecting you to a healthier life and environment through program updates, industry news and educational events. 
View this email in your browser
Fundraising is officially underway for Appalachian Offsets’ largest undertaking to date, a project to install a $1.1 million solar system on the roof of Isaac Dickson Elementary School. The school was designed as one of the state’s first Net Zero Energy schools and has been awaiting the solar system since building construction completed last year. Over its 30-year life, the system is expected to save $4.5 million in energy costs for the school.

Another Appalachian Offsets project, an energy-efficiency upgrade at the nonprofit Opportunity House in Hendersonville, wrapped up earlier this month. The LED lighting upgrade will save more than $10,000 per year in energy costs for the organization and reduce their carbon footprint by 47 metric tons annually.

Visit WWW.CUTMYCARBON.ORG to learn more about these projects, offset your carbon footprint and make a tax-deductible contribution to support other clean-energy improvements in our community.

WNC Green Building Council Newsletter | April 2017

Don't Miss Out: Be Seen in the
2017 Green Building Directory

We are beginning the process of planning our 2017 Green Building Directory. With 25,000 copies distributed at 100 spots throughout Western North Carolina, this directory is a great way to share your company's unique offerings in the broader community as well as position your brand for high visibility in a targeted demographic.

Beyond the directory listings automatically provided to all members at the business level and higher, there are several ways you can provide input and have a larger presence in this year's directory.
  1. Contribute content. Our directory is enriched each year with article features and case studies written by our members and about their projects. Contributing content is a great way to raise awareness for the work your company does and share your expertise within this resource guide.

    The directory would not be the same without your voices. Email WNCGBC Community Engagement Director Cari Barcas at cari@wncgbc.org this week with story ideas.
     
  2. Take our survey. Let us know how you use the Green Building Directory and any changes you'd like to see in our quick ten-question survey. Click here to share your input.
     
  3. Place an ad or enhance your listing. Watch for more details on these options in the coming weeks, or email hylah@smokymountainnews.com with questions.
     
  4. Become a member. Whether you're joining for the first time or renewing after a lapse, there's no better time to sign on for membership with the WNC Green Building Council. All members at a business level or higher receive a complimentary listing in print and online, as well as table space to promote your brand at our annual networking party where we release the first copies of the directory in August.
Our annual directory is an impressive reflection of our membership and an invaluable resource for our community. We appreciate your participation in the process and presence in the finished product!
Final Weeks to Register for Inaugural
WNCGBC Disc Golf Fundraiser

Join us as local green building and disc golf enthusiasts come together to raise money for a good cause and celebrate the grand opening of a new 18-hole course with a captain's choice tournament at the WNC Green Building Council’s first annual spring Disc Golf Fundraiser next month.

Participants will receive a tournament-branded disc, and play for the opportunity to win a cash purse, tickets to LEAF Festival or the Biltmore Estate, among other prizes.

WHAT: WNCGBC Disc Golf Fundraiser
WHEN: Sunday, April 30; tournament 1 p.m., after-party 3 to 5 p.m.
WHERE: Lake Julian Disc Golf Course, Fisherman’s Trail, Arden
HOW MUCH: $40 per person

Click to register yourself or a team!

This event is made possible thanks to the generous support
of title sponsors Jenning Builders Supply and Hardware

and after-party sponsors Sure Foot Builders.
 

________________________________________

Still seeking supporters for hole sponsorships!

There is still space for your company to sponsor a hole on the course and have a presence at this WNCGBC fundraiser.

Birdie Sponsor ($100): Represent your company as a supporter of our nonprofit with a sign that you provide at a hole along the course. Your logo will also be included on our website and social media promotions leading up to the event.

Ace Sponsor ($250): Receive the above exposure as well as the opportunity to have a personal presence at the hole you are sponsoring with a table or booth you provide to offer food, information or otherwise engage with players.

To sign up to sponsor a hole, email WNCGBC Community Engagement Director Cari Barcas at cari@wncgbc.org.

 
Mother Earth News Fair Next on Our Schedule of Spring Shows

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the WNC Home Garden & Green Living Show last month and at the Asheville Home Builders Association's Build and Remodel Expo in February. Those are two of the shows we do in the first half of each year to represent and promote members. The events are a channel through which we aim to increase the community's awareness of not only our nonprofit as a whole but our individual members as well. We help educate the community about the resources the WNCGBC has available, as well as make referrals to services our members offer.



The next show on our calendar this year is the Mother Earth News Fair, which will be held the first weekend in May. If you are a member and want to represent your company and help staff the WNCGBC booth, email Community Engagement Director Cari Barcas at cari@wncgbc.org today to sign up for a shift.

Support Our Community in Best of WNC 2017 Voting

Mountain Xpress is again holding its annual Best of WNC awards, where the community votes for the most valued local resources. The awards are a great source of grassroots recognition for the many amazing nonprofits and businesses that make Asheville what it is, and we encourage you to vote for some of your colleagues and our members.

To cast a ballot, you must vote in 30 categories and to help you out, we're including a few suggestions of sections relevant to our membership below, including the opportunity to vote for WNCGBC as Best Environmental Nonprofit.

Outdoors section
BEST ENVIRONMENTAL NONPROFIT: 
Please support the WNC Green Building Council with your vote!

Professional and Home Services section
Alt Energy Sales and Installation: 
support one of our member renewable energy firms
Architectural Firm:
support one of our member architects
Green Builder:
support one of our member builders
Heating/Cooling Company:
support one of our member HVAC installers
Home Cleaning Service:
support one of our member cleaning companies
Moving Company:
support one of our member movers
Plumbing Company:
support one of our member plumbers
Real Estate Agent or Real Estate Company:
support one of our member realtors

Work & Business section
Bank or Mortgage Company:
support one of our member lenders

Farm, Yard & Garden section
Nursery: 
support one of our member landscaping supply companies
Landscape/Grading Service: 
support one of our member landscapers or landscape architects


Cast your vote now!
Mountain Xpress Offering Special Ad Rates for WNCGBC Members
 Mountain Xpress is offering WNCGBC members an additional 5 percent off the special advertising rates available during their four-week Sustainability Series of issues publishing throughout April.

For more information, contact Heather Taylor at 828-251-1333 ext. 103 or htaylor@mountainx.com, and tell her you're a member of the WNC Green Building Council.

Upcoming Events

 
Thursday, April 13
5 to 7 p.m.

New Urban Frontier Home Tour: Three Creative Homes
Location: West Haywood and Hilliard streets in Asheville's River Arts District
Cost: Free with a suggested donation of $10
Thursday, April 20
5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Housing and Economic Outlook Event
Location: Hilton Biltmore Park, 43 Town Square Blvd., Asheville
Cost: $20 for local HBA members; $35 for nonmembers
Learn More
Sunday, April 30
1 to 5 p.m.

Disc Golf Fundraiser
Location: Lake Julian Disc Golf Course, Fisherman's Trail, Arden
Cost: $40 per player
Learn More
Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mother Earth News Fair
Location: WNC Agricultural Center Davis Arena, 1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher
Cost: Tickets start at $15
Thursday, Aug. 17

Annual Member Appreciation and Directory Release Party

Save the date and
stay tuned for details!
Saturday, Oct. 7
Fifth Annual CiderFest

Save the date and
stay tuned for details!
On the Blog: Comfort and Asheville Green Building

Guest blogger Nick Shaw, a certified passive house consultant and builder who recently relocated to Asheville, shares perspective from nearly a decade of working on green homes nationwide.

Click here to read more on the WNCGBC blog!
USGBC Encourages Support for Federal Funding of EPA Programs


The U.S. Green Building Council recently sent this letter to House and Senate Appropriations Committee leadership urging their support for EPA programs like Energy Star, WaterSense and Safer Choice.
Public Comment on State Building Code Ends Soon
 
The North Carolina Building Code Council is accepting public comment on all building codes including the energy conservation code until this Monday, April 17. These codes regulate the minimum level of safety, quality and efficiency of all buildings statewide. Due to recent legislative action, these codes will be in place twice as long as previous editions and likely in effect until 2024.

The current proposed draft includes:
  • Minimal advances in efficiency requirements for residential and commercial buildings, widening the gap even further between the national model code and North Carolina.
  • Introduces a tradeoff of efficiency for on-site renewable energy in the residential code. This will negate the meager efficiency gains embodied in the proposed 2018 NCECC and ignores the model code language that ensures a careful balance between energy efficiency and renewable energy while maintaining flexibility.
  • Removes energy requirements for existing buildings that have been in place in this state for years.
The proposed 2018 Energy Conservation Code does little to advance minimum efficiency levels, contrary to the Energy Innovation Task Force's efforts to reduce energy demand.

Public comment can be submitted by emailing Barry.gupton@ncdoi.gov.

For a template letter or more information, email bridget@mathisconsulting.com.
Member Perk: Free Individual Memberships for Employees of Business Members

All employees of members at a business level and higher are now eligible for complimentary individual memberships and all its benefits!

Employers, please share information about this perk with your employees.

Employees, please email Community Engagement Director Cari Barcas at Cari@wncgbc.org to register as a member.
Member Spotlight: 
JAG & Associates Construction

We are grateful to JAG Construction for recently renewing their leadership circle commitment as members of WNCGBC.

A small company specializing in in-town urban spec construction, JAG's goal is to make healthy, creative, long-lasting houses more available to the general public. They aim to reduce the impact of construction on the environment and prepare for a future of alternative energy.
Copyright © 2017 Green Built Alliance, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted to stay connected with Green Built Alliance.



Western North Carolina Green Building Council
378 Haywood Road  •  Asheville, NC 28806
828.254.1995
www.wncgbc.org


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp