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As Buncombe County pursues its goal of achieving 100% renewable energy use by 2030, Jeremiah LeRoy is making his own moves. The Sustainability Officer recently earned the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate Certification, a tool that will help the County grow its LEED-certified building portfolio. “Buncombe County has a green building policy, which uses LEED standards as its guideline. This policy applies to all new construction and rehabs that impact over 10,000 square feet,” explains Assistant County Manager Sybil Tate.
The LEED Green Associate Certification requires passing a two-hour, 100-question exam. “LEED is a credit-based system that encourages enhanced performance in a variety of areas such as transportation, site selection, energy, and water-use reduction,” says Jeremiah. “Understanding these credits and how they can apply to construction and renovation of County facilities will help us achieve our greenhouse gas goals as well as to continue to grow thoughtfully and in harmony with our environment.”
Buncombe County is working diligently to reduce the effects of climate change by being responsible stewards of the environment, part of the Commissioners’ Strategic Plan 2025 focus areas. “Long term, our goal is to have several additional LEED-certified staff to collaborate on construction projects. LEED offers more specific and specialized certifications, and this is just the first step,” explains Jeremiah.
Achieving this ambitious goal goes beyond the Sustainability Office and is truly a collaborative, countywide effort, as Sybil explains: “We are well on our way to achieving our 100% renewable goal, but the Sustainability Office can’t do it alone. It will take all our staff being willing to change habits, try new technology, such as electric vehicles, and bear with us through facility moves, construction, and renovations.” Meantime, Jeremiah will continue to take the lead, and Sybil says there’s nobody better suited for the job. “Jeremiah is the type of employee who walks the talk in and out of the office. I never question his dedication to achieving our renewable energy goal, since he is always one step ahead of me in terms of ideas, projects, and the latest technology.”
You can learn more about Buncombe County’s commitment to environmental and energy stewardship here.
Buncombe County environmental and energy stewardship accomplishments
- LEED-certified East Asheville Library building
- Upgrading the County’s motor fleet to zero-emission vehicles, currently with five electric vehicles
- More than 1 megawatt of on-site solar for County-owned buildings
- Commitment to 100% feasible solar at schools