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In this issue:

• NC GreenPower events It seems early, but Earth Day events are already on our calendar!
• Featured partner Stop by Chapel Hill Tire and Car Care for an eco-friendly oil change
• Upcoming community events From job fairs to electronics recycling...
• NEW Green Jobs Board for NC Special offer for NCSEA Business Members
• Seven Energy Savings Resolutions for 2011 Courtesy of Progress Energy CurrentLines
• January program update We now have 415 active Renewable Energy projects!

NC GreenPower is a part of more than 100 events each year. Thinking about volunteering
as a member of our Speakers Bureau? Visit our events calendar and sign up to volunteer today.
We offer free trainings throughout the year and across the state.

Please email us at speaker@ncgreenpower.org to volunteer for us!

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Did you know? According to a survey reported in the September 2010 issue of Success Magazine, of people who volunteer: 73% say it lowers their stress level 92% say it enriches their sense of purpose in life 68% say it makes them feel physically healthier 88% say it provides networking/career development opportunities So... Volunteer and feel better! speaker@ncgreenpower.org

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Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center is donating $2 to NC GreenPower's Carbon Offset Program with every Environmentally Friendly Oil Change! So far, their customers have mitigated 27,250 lbs of Carbon Dioxide

Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center, a local GreenPlus Certified car center servicing vehicles in the greater Chapel Hill area, is donating $2 towards carbon offsets on every purchase of their E.F.O.,environmentally - friendly oil change.  E.F.O. is a synthetic blend motor oil made from re-refined motor oil which uses up to 85% less energy to produce than oil refined from crude. “We’re proud to bring E.F.O. and this eco-friendly $2 carbon offset offer to the community,” owner Marc Pons said. “Being green is only one component of our sustainable initiative; it’s the big picture too–how we treat your employees and what we give back to our community." Marc recently won a national award for his exceptional commitment to a sustainable community and his pioneering leadership in bringing green principles to the automotive care industry.

Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Center has been providing total car care services to the greater Chapel Hill area for nearly 60 years. Their ASE-certified technicians perform diagnostics and repairs for all vehicles, both domestic and import. Visit www.chapelhilltire.com or stop by one of their three locations in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

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January 29 & 30 - Electronic Waste recycling event Bring your old electronics to one of the Do Your Part To Stomp Out Electronic Waste collection sites and have it recycled for free.  Your e-waste will be refurbished or responsibly recycled through Goodwill. All funds raised will support local job training programs.

February 5 - EWB Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction The UNC Chapter of Engineers Without Borders is holding a benefit dinner and auction at the Morehead Planetarium to support their current projects in Mexico, Peru and locally in the Rogers-Eubanks community. The event will include a cocktail hour with open wine bar, a seated dinner, and both silent and live auctions, featuring speeches by Pete Kolsky of the World Bank and Engineers Without Borders member Aimee Rowe. Tickets are $60 per plate. Registration is available online: http://studentorgs.unc.edu/ewb.
For more information about the event, please e-mail your questions to ewb.benefit.dinner@gmail.com.  

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Finding Your Green Dream Job: North Carolina Solar Center to Offer a Free Career Advice Workshop The North Carolina Solar Center at NC State University will host a free, half-day workshop to help job-seekers find employment in North Carolina’s growing green-energy sector. The workshop will explore: Leveraging your education and experience and finding career options in the green market Plugging into the green network Training programs to take and where to find them Selecting certifications that can help get you started Finding financial resources/grants available for training In addition, for the last hour of the workshop, professionals from the NC Solar Center and other green professionals will be on site to answer questions and provide professional advice. Learn how to use your educational and professional background, skills and interests to pursue your green dream job. WHEN:    Tuesday, February 8 from 9:30a.m.-12 Noon WHERE:  Cameron Village Library Meeting Room, Raleigh, NC COST:     Free and open to the public; registration required. To register, click here Created in 1988, the North Carolina Solar Center, as part of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University (NCSU), works closely with state and local government and the renewable energy industry. It manages and maintains the NCSU Solar House and serves as a resource for innovative, green energy technologies through research and demonstration, technical assistance, education, outreach and training. For more information please visit: http://www.ncsc.ncsu.edu

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Feb. 7-8, 2011 - BioEnergy Symposium (2011 Waste-to-Energy Technology) at UNC-Charlotte. Click here for more information.

Feb. 9, 2011 - 2011 Duke Conference on Sustainable Business The Duke MBA Net Impact Club invites Triangle-area students and professionals to their annual Duke Conference on Sustainable Business and Social Impact, being held Wednesday, February 9, 2011 (9am-5pm) at The Fuqua School of Business. Please visit their website for more information or watch a video recapping last year’s conference.  You can also register now. Conference is free to all students, faculty and staff.  There is a $50 registration fee for all professionals.

March 16, 2011 - Smart Grid Workshop, North Carolina. A Process for Progress: The Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and Economic Development. Hosted by NC A&T State University's Center for Energy Research and Technology (CERT), Proximity Hotel, Greensboro. Click here for more information and to register.

April 26-27, 2011 - 8th Annual Sustainable Energy Conference hosted by the NC Energy Office at the McKimmon Center (NC State University), Raleigh. Click here for more information.

May 17-21, 2011 - SOLAR 2011 hosted by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) in partnership with NCSEA at the Raleigh Convention Center. Click here for more information.

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Special offer for NCSEA Business Members - Free Posts

Matching sustainable energy employers with qualified job applicants - that's the latest project undertaken by NCSEA for you! We're proud to announce the launch of North Carolina's new Green Jobs Board, which is the next phase in NCSEA's redesigned and upgraded web site, www.energync.org. The new jobs board can be used by all employers and job seekers. Click here to take an early look - and be sure to check back often as more companies post their jobs and we connect future employees with the right company.

As part of the official launch of the Green Jobs Board, NCSEA has a SPECIAL OFFER for employers.  Now through January 31, 2011, employers who are an NCSEA Business Member can post job openings for FREE. Non-Business Member employers can post jobs for only $25 each.  (After Feb. 1, 2011, NCSEA Gigawatt and Megawatt Business Members can post jobs for free; all other job postings will be $100 each for 30 days.)

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The New Year is a time for resolutions—a good time to make a fresh start. For many businesses, the beginning of January will mean a new operating budget as well. Developing an energy-saving strategy provides a real opportunity to change the way you do business by cutting costs, reducing emissions, and increasing profitability. Ranging from simple measures like tracking and assessing energy use, to integrating efficiency and conservation into your management strategy and corporate culture, the seven energy-saving resolutions that follow will not only reduce energy costs at your facility, they will change the way your company uses energy as well:

1. Conduct an energy investigation. An energy audit of your facility is a great way to begin the New Year. As a first step, try Progress Energy's Facility Assessment Wizard.
   
   
2. Look for energy-saving opportunities. In most facilities, energy-saving opportunities abound in places where you might not think to look. Some examples are: install a reflective coating on the roof, install skylights, design your landscape for energy efficiency, or invest in network printers.
   
   
3. Focus on energy-efficient operations and maintenance. The primary goal of preventive maintenance (PM) is to optimize equipment reliability and lifespan.
   
   
4. Account for every kilowatt. You cannot manage your energy costs unless you know what they are. Energy accounting will provide real data on how much energy your organization uses and the associated costs. For more information, visit Energy Star's Portfolio Manager here.
   
   
5. Start a conservation culture. While energy-saving retrofits and efficient equipment are vital to a more sustainable future, it is easy to lose sight of how energy is used. Energy consumption behavior is equally important.
   
   
6. Get everyone involved. Efficiency and conservation cannot just be the province of the facility manager and a few dedicated individuals. Start an Energy Team and educate your employees.
   
   
7. Make energy efficiency a part of your business strategy. Efficiency and conservation reduces energy use. A sustained energy management program that is part of your overall business strategy will also reduce operating costs, increase productivity, lower emissions, and improve workplace safety.

New Year's resolutions are notoriously difficult to maintain. That is why these resolutions are designed to make energy efficiency and conservation part of your organization’s business strategy. For a pdf of the full article, you may download it here.

CurrentLines and online newsletters are unique services offered only to Progress Energy clients and customers. To register, follow this link.

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We now have reached a milestone: We have 415 Renewable Energy projects, actively producing green power
to the grid, right here in our state through NC GreenPower. Find out more by clicking on the map below!

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