It’s Game On for Taking Climate Action this October!
Home Energy Challenge teammates supporting each other in reaching their home sustainability goals at a Challenge Power Party.
October has been a productive and exciting month for the Charlottesville Climate Collaborative!
So #ICYMI – a.k.a. in case you missed it – we’re summarizing some of October’s high points.
We are officially halfway through the first season of our Home Energy Challenge and the Better Business Challenge, our program for nonprofits and businesses, is in full swing in its third year.
It’s Game On!
We now have more than 70 homes participating in the Home Energy Challenge! And those homes are already taking a range of actions – some easy, some challenging – and doing their part to reduce their household climate impact. It’s all about making gradual, sustainable adjustments to your home lifestyle!
Easy Ways to Make A Climate Difference
One of the Charlottesville Climate Collaborative’s new interns, Sofya Olenicheva, has joined in on the Home Energy Challenge too. After browsing the list of climate actions, she was able to find five that require ZERO investment, actually save her $360 per year, and reduce her CO2 emissions by 28 percent!
Better Business Challenge Spotlight
This month we highlighted three Better Business Challenge participants – Colonial Nissan, WDP & Associates, and Design Electric. First, hats off to Colonial Nissan, which is now the first solar-powered car dealership in Virginia! Second, we love seeing how much fun WDP & Associates is having with the Challenge and in discovering ways to reduce energy consumption. Third, we’re inspired by all the creative ways that Design Electric is setting and implementing sustainability goals and measures. Get inspired by your Better Business Challenge teammates and read all about how they are raising their eco-game.
The Dollars & Sense of Going Solar
So much buzz lately about local businesses, nonprofits, and schools going solar! So we decided to address this front-burner topic at the last Better Business Challenge Lunch n’ Learn, “The Dollars and Sense of Going Solar and Other Pathways to Renewable Energy.” One of the biggest benefits of going solar? Falling prices and a variety of state and federal financial incentives make this is a great time for businesses to incorporate solar energy into their operations, says Nick DiFerdinando of Sun Tribe Solar.
As we head into November, we’ll continue to share updates on the Home Energy Challenge – the stats are changing day by day – and more Better Business Challenge participants who are going the distance in adopting sustainable business practices and creating a healthier environment for everyone!
Better Business Challenge participant WDP & Associates has placed signs around the office in key locations offering friendly reminders to staff to turn off the lights at the end of the day, or when they are no longer using that space.