Join us for WNCA’s second Clean Energy and Sustainability Tour to take place Thursday May, 23rd to the Energy Exchange in Yancey County. The Energy Exchange is a renewable energy center established to pioneer the use of alternative energy in promoting the area’s unique local resources for the purpose of implementing and sustaining successful 
rural development.
The Energy Exchange is founded by their mission to apply the use of renewable resources and practices for educational opportunities and economic development in the fields of art and horticulture.
The EnergyXchange campus is a multi-use facility that demonstrates numerous applications of alternative energy sources and creative usage of waste resources. The use of alternative energy and methane reduces the amount of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions, or carbon footprint, of our campus. The fuel-burning appliances on campus are powered by methane gas generated by a decommissioned landfill. The methane is collected from the field and piped to heating appliances and craft studio equipment. Combusting or using the methane on site significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
(Learn More about the Energy Exchange http://www.energyxchange.org/)
WNCA’s visit to the Energy Exchange will include a guided tour focusing on their sources of alternative renewable energy including landfill gas to energy project, solar photovoltaic systems, wind energy, and wood waste sustainable waste-to-energy.
Next, the guided tour will visit the landfill gas fueled glass blowing and pottery studios, the first craft studio in the world to operate off of this form of alternative energy.
Additionally, we will visit the Energy Exchange greenhouses that support the production of native rhododendron and azalea plants, all of which are native to the southern Appalachians and started from seed. We will complete the tour with an outdoor green potluck picnic, please bring a sustainable dish to share with others!
We hope that you will join us to view the regenerative work the Energy Exchange is practicing first hand!
When: May 23, 2013 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: $5 for Alliance Members; $5 for Students; $10 for General Public
RSVP: Contact WNCA Outings and Education Coordinator Rachel Moore by E-mail: Rachel@wnca.org
or Phone: (828) 258-8737 x 201
*A carpool will be arranged from Asheville to Yancey County – please contact Rachel Moore for more details
The Clean Energy Outing to the Energy Exchange is Co-Sponsored by the WENOCA Chapter of the Sierra Club!