West Building Earns EPA ENERGY STAR
4CORE's Home Office touts Certification
 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded its ENERGY STARŪ designation to Durango's West Building, a four-story commercial office building located in historic downtown Durango.
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Partner Events
Winter Bike to Work Day
City of Durango
March 1, (TODAY) 7-9 a.m.
FREE drip coffee and tea from Durango Coffee Co. and snacks from Clif Bar. The first 50 people will also get a long-sleeve commemorative shirt.
More info here
Home Buyers Class
Regional Housing Alliance (RHA) Tuesday, March 13, 20 and 27 5:30 - 8:00 p.m. Monthly home buyers class. 4CORE will present info on the 27th on how to make improvements and save money on bills.
Call for location and to sign up: 970.259.1418
More info here
Green Business Roundtable
Localizing Energy
Wednesday, March 12
12:00 PM
Special Guest Speaker Pegeen Hanrahan, P.E., Mayor of Gainesville, FL
Take Charge in Durango
Groundworks Denver
Saturday, March 24
10:00 AM- 3:00 PM
Volunteer opportunity to reach out to neighbors regarding low- to no- cost energy efficiency services. Training and all the materials you need will be provided on the day of the event.
Please RSVP by March 15
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4CORE Receives Ballantine Grant
4CORE was awarded funding from a local foundation serving our five-county region. This grant will be used to implement the Resource Energy Action Plan (REAP) in Southwest Colorado. The Ballantine Family Fund was established in 1957 by Morley C. Ballantine and Arthur A. Ballantine, Jr. for the purpose of giving financial assistance to non-profit, charitable, educational, literary, scientific or other causes that better the human condition.
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Giving Warmth this Winter
Your donation goes toward supporting 4CORE's community services, including programs that will help keep Southwest Colorado residents warm:
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Have You Liked us Yet?
On Facebook, that is...
Find us on Facebook here!
Or, login to your Facebook account and search for 4CORE. Be sure to "like" our page, so you get tips about saving energy, breaking news, and photos.
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Join Our Mailing List!
Energy News you Can Use is published monthly
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Thank you
to our Partners! 
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Resource News You Can Use
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This month our 4CORE newsletter focuses on learning. Whether through free training, information on the internet, or other easy tips on saving money and resources, we've got it for you here.
Read on to learn more!
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Did You Know?
Low and No-cost Tips and articles on Saving Energy
- Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage your heating and cooling systems efficiently.
- Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
- Turn things off when you are not in the room such as lights, TVs, entertainment systems, and your computer and monitor.
- Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use- TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power.
- Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F.
- Take short showers instead of baths and use low-flow showerheads for additional energy savings.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Air dry clothes.
- Check to see that windows and doors are closed when heating or cooling your home.
- Drive sensibly; aggressive driving such as speeding, and rapid acceleration and braking, wastes fuel.
- Look for the ENERGY STARŪ label on light bulbs, home appliances, electronics, and other products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Source: energysavers.gov
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Training: The Gift that Keeps Giving
4CORE Staff and others Continuing their Education
4CORE is bringing new knowledge to our area by offering trainings through programs like the Sustainable Building Education Program. Our staff is also continually conducting research and attending conferences in the last year so that we may serve you best.
Here are some trainings in 2011/12 that have helped 4CORE staff serve you better:
- CPR-Certified 20 total staff and subcontractors (subs)
- FIRST AID- Certified 1 sub
- OSHA 10- Certified 20 total (5 4CORE staff)
- Building Performance Institute (BPI)
- Whole House - Certified 10 total (All subs)
- Crew Chief - Trained (not Certified) 10 total (All Subs)
- Building Analyst - Trained & Certified 14 (5 4CORE staff)
- Heating Professional
Trained 10 total (3 4CORE staff)
Certified 8 (two did not pass the field test) - Envelope Professional
Certified 6 (2 4CORE staff) - Lead Renovator (3 sessions) - 41 Certified & Trained (9 4CORE staff)
- Saturn Online Building Science Courses-Trained over 31 4CORE staff & subs in various online sessions.Class titles included:
- Building Shell Tech I & II,
- Auditor/Inspector,
- Combustion Appliance
- Tech I & II,
- Mobile Home Weatherization.
- Saturn Field Internships - Trained over 20 4CORE staff & subs in various field sessions.Class titles included:
- Identifying and Sealing Duct Leakage, Basic Classroom Furnace
- Training, Blower Door Testing, Blower Door Guided Air Sealing and Observation, Gas
- Furnace and CAZ Safety, Furnace Performance Testing and Adjustment, Wall Insulation,
- Weatherization Energy Audit, Attic Insulation, Weatherization Health & Safety.
- Respirator Fit Testing by OSHA Consultants from CSU- Trained 3 4CORE staff
- EPA AHERA Asbestos Building Inspector - Trained & Certified 9 Total (5 4CORE staff, 4 subs)
- New SCC Crew Training in Alamosa - trained 5 new SCC crew members in Weatherization Techniques for one week at Veterans Green Jobs.
When you attend a training, you benefit yourself by making yourself more marketable and employable in the future (keep building those resumes!), you benefit your community benefits when you share your enhanced skills and knowledge. 4CORE staff works to provide this training to increase the quality of service we provide, as well as increase employment opportunities for those we help train. Stay tuned to learn more about trainings coming up in our region. Also, subscribe to our Twitter feed, or friend us on Facebook to learn more about trainings here and elsewhere. |
4CORE Joins the Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative
A regional effort to streamline solar
 The Southwest Solar Transformation Initiative (SSTI) represents a regional team of public and private partners committed to advancing solar power adoption by homeowners and businesses across participating municipalities within the Southwest region. SSTI is part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Rooftop Solar Challenge and has received funding to help "streamline and standardize permitting, zoning, metering and connection processes - and improve finance options for residential and commercial rooftop solar systems." During the first year (Phase 1), SSTI efforts will focus on constructing the framework for this regional, collaborative model, aggregating and defining best practices for each jurisdiction, providing a centralized online technical resource center, and engaging with participating agencies to tailor and implement solar-friendly policies and programs.
4CORE was engaged by Optony, Inc, to participate in the program and several municipalities from Southwest Colorado have joined and will be engaged and/or informed as we move forward. For more information, contact 4CORE.
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Creating a Culture of Learning
Passing Knowledge on Through Internships
Lily Oswald is a junior at Animas High School participating in the Leading Internships for New Knowledge (LINK) program. Through community involvement, students learn to thrive in a professional setting and connect their coursework to their experiences in the working world.Learn more about Lily and her work at Animas High School by checking out her on-line digital portfolio.
Over the last few years, 4CORE has created a culture not only for staff learning, but for mentoring and teaching interns and volunteers. We've mentored more than eight interns, and plan to continue into the future!
If you are interested in volunteering or interning with 4CORE, download this form, fill it out, and email it or bring it by our office.
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As always, if you have any feedback or questions about becoming more energy efficient, please contact us. |
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You are learning everyday, whether or not you know it. As humans, we can't help but be curious. Our lives are filled with those "ah ha!" moments. And even for those of us who are "stuck in our ways" we always have the ability to learn and make changes in our lives.
