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Buncombe County’s Plans to Reach 100 Percent Renewables Goals
This article originally appeared in the 2022-2023 edition of the Green Building Directory. The Perplexities of Pristine Power: Buncombe County’s Plans to Reach 100 Percent Renewables Goals By David Gordon Five years ago, Buncombe County, in collaboration with the City of Asheville, voted to adopt a resolution for county operations and the community…
Read MoreNOW is a Great Time to Start Thinking About Solar
If you have ever thought about energy sustainability in your home, you probably thought about solar energy. We sat down with Clary Franko from Sugar Hollow Solar, a local Asheville-based installer, to find out what questions we’d need to ask when starting the solar search. Some questions to consider would be: How much energy…
Read MoreBlue Horizons Project Community Council – Call for Member Nominations
Community Council – Call for Nominations 2022 The Blue Horizons Project Community Council (BHPCC) is working to reach 100% renewable energy by 2042, to minimize the worst effects of climate change and to boost the local economy in Asheville and Buncombe County. The Council is part technical advice and part community listening & engagement.…
Read MoreBeLoved Asheville Selected as Nonprofit Recipient of Solarize Install
BeLoved Asheville Selected as Nonprofit Recipient of Solarize Install By Summer Winkler and Jamie Wine Solarize Asheville-Buncombe County launched in 2021 between community members and mission-aligned organizations in order to provide affordable solar installations within the community. The campaign goals were 500 sign-ups and 100 contracts for solar energy systems, and we exceeded these…
Read MoreSolarize Asheville-Buncombe Case Study
Case Study Introduction Asheville, North Carolina is a small to medium-sized city in the mountains of Western North Carolina with a population just under 100,000. Asheville is the county seat of Buncombe County, which has a population of 260,000. Asheville and Buncombe County are committed to sustainability and are leaders in the state in municipal…
Read MoreNeighbor to Neighbor Solar Seeks Solar Contractor Partner
Blue Horizons Project Seeks Solar Installer to Partner on Expansion of Neighbor to Neighbor Solar Program Offering No-Cost Renewable-Energy Systems to More Low-Income Residents Asheville, NC — After a successful launch last year with a dozen local families signing contracts to receive no-cost or low-cost solar systems on their homes, Blue Horizons Project’s Neighbor to…
Read MoreSolarize Asheville-Buncombe Results in 180 New Rooftop Solar Systems, Adds 1.45 Megawatts of Renewable Energy Locally
Community Initiative Led the Nation in Participation and Installations, Generates $4.6 Million in Local Clean Energy Investment Asheville, N.C. — Solarize Asheville-Buncombe, which publicly encouraged local group purchasing of solar energy in Asheville and Buncombe County, concluded its 2021 community campaign by adding 1.45 megawatts of clean, renewable energy to the community. A total of…
Read MoreSolarize Asheville-Buncombe Reaches Most Affordable Level & Financing Workshop!
We are so excited to announce that the Solarize Asheville-Buncombe campaign has reached its most affordable level, bringing the cost of solar down to $2.45 per watt for residential installations! We are also excited to announce a community workshop about financing your solar array on Wednesday, May 26th at 6PM. Click here to learn more!…
Read MoreSolarize Asheville-Buncombe Campaign to Launch April 7, 2021
For Immediate Release: March 25, 2021 Solarize Asheville-Buncombe to Launch Bulk-Purchase Solar Community Campaign on Wednesday, April 7 Local Solarize Campaign Centers Workforce Development, Affordability Asheville, N.C. — A coalition of local organizations is launching Solarize Asheville-Buncombe, a community-based group-purchasing solar campaign that makes solar energy and battery storage more affordable to participants. A virtual…
Read MoreCleaning up Asheville’s Cleaning Industry
Aerial view of Solar Suds, courtesy of Melissa Gladden Seventeen years ago, Melissa Gladden started cleaning houses in Asheville. She was good at her job and cared about the environment. Instead of using carcinogenic cleaners, she made her own environmentally-friendly ones. Her clients were impressed with her attention to detail and the care she put…
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