Press Release
From Clean Energy for Us:
ASHEVILLE, NC – Solarize Asheville, last year’s groundbreaking pilot project that brought affordable solar power to Asheville, has evolved into Clean Energy for Us, a campaign that will make it cheaper and easier for people in Western North Carolina to reduce their energy bills and pollution.
“We changed the name because we’re adding energy efficiency to our agenda and expanding the geographical scope of our program,” said Katie Bray, program founder. “Not only do we want to make it easier for people to adopt solar, but we also want to make it easier for them to retrofit their structures to conserve energy, which is a great way to affordably decrease our dependence on fossil fuels and the amount of pollution going into our air and water.”
Here’s how Clean Energy for Us works: the campaign chooses reputable local clean energy contractors and negotiates a time-limited incentive for homeowners and business owners within the campaign area. The campaign partners with a non-profit and recruits community volunteers to help spread the word. An educational workshop allows the public to meet the chosen contractors, bring questions about their individual proposals, and pick the financing option that best suits their needs.
The first Clean Energy for Us campaign will take place in Buncombe County from February 1 to March 31 with a contract deadline of April 31, 2014. The Clean Energy for Us – Buncombe campaign will provide a free home energy audit to all eligible program participants as well as countywide discounted pricing for solar technologies.
“The first step is to visit our website at www.cleanenergyfor.us and fill out the enrollment form. Then, we will contact you to assess your best energy-saving options and set up a free home energy audit, all without any obligation to buy. We will also provide you with information on local financing and tax incentives,” said Bray.
The campaign will feature a local financing partner and three solar installers: Renewable Design Associates (Asheville) for commercial solar and Asheville Solar Company (Asheville) and Sugar Hollow Solar (Asheville) for residential. Conservation Pros (Asheville), an energy efficiency retrofitting company, will provide expert installation of energy-saving measures such as duct sealing and insulation.
“This model blows away the three biggest barriers to adopting clean energy: cost, red-tape, and inaction,” said Bray. Please contact Katie Bray for more information or to volunteer with the campaign. Visit www.cleanenergyfor.us to enroll in the program.
For more information, visit cleanenergyfor.us.
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