The wonderful world of HVAC….or not? Except for the structure of the building itself, your HVAC equipment makes up one of the most expensive, and most vital, components of a modern, habitable building. It also accounts for the lion’s share (over 50%) of energy use, emissions, and a big proportion of operating costs in most businesses.  

And yet…so many of us don’t even think about what it does until it stops working. Read on for a deep dive on how to make the most of the HVAC equipment in your home and/or brick and mortar business.

This is statement Written by Ven. Tenzin Gephel of Blue Mountain Dharma in support of C3’s efforts toward positive climate action.

Reducing climate impact sounds like a big task, but at C3 we know it’s easily accessible for everyone - it has to be! With our larger partners in the Green Business Alliance, our work involves a lot of coaching and data-crunching as they work toward deep emissions reduction goals. For our community partners and some microbusinesses, we offer professional services to identify energy-saving opportunities and navigate the jungle of financial incentives to help put them into action.

Did you know?  Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems use more than half of the energy in most commercial buildings. Did you also know that in many buildings, those systems are running full-blast even when no one is there?  That’s a lot of energy - and money - wasted for the benefit of….no one.  Happily, there’s often an easy fix.

Read our latest blog co-written with Livable C’ville discussing the release of Charlottesville Gas' long-awaited Gas Decarbonization Study. Unfortunately, the study released last week comes nowhere near meeting the original aims set and was not responsive to community input from the listening sessions. Keep reading to learn more about the study and opportunities for improvement Charlottesville Gas can take moving forward.

Ever wish you had an energy expert on hand when making a major decision about your home, business, or vehicle? Who do you call when your furnace quits or when your energy bills seem too high? The Energy Resource Hub is for you.

Recycling is often confusing and obscure. Many companies do not provide adequate education when it comes to recycling and composting. it’s hard to know what is the right thing to do. Not to mention the “Wish cycling” by well-intentioned recyclers adds contaminants and subsequent higher costs to the recycling stream.

Your advocacy and our partnerships with local government staff have yielded incredible results in 2024. Here is a snapshot of all we’ve accomplished together this year, and there is quite a lot to celebrate. Read our final blog of the year from our Executive Director, Susan Kruse

Read our latest blog discussing a pivotal moment for the future of transit in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. On Wednesday, December 11, and Monday, December 16, respectively, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council are expected to vote in favor of forming a Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Check out to learn more about the vote, and the value of developing Regional Transit Authorities throughout Central Virginia.

In this blog, C3’s Director of Corporate Sustainability, Coles Jennings, wraps up another year of climate action in corporate. Read on to look back on a successful year of this work, and ahead to our big plans for 2025.

Last month, C3 joined a group of decision-makers from Charlottesville and Albemarle County to check out the on-site hydrogen bus fuel production facility in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. Read on to discover what C3 learned while seeing zero-emission transit (from fuel production to tailpipe emissions) in action!

In June 2017, then-President Donald Trump announced the United States' withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. It was a devastating blow for climate action. Just four months later, the Community Climate Collaborative (C3) was born.

During an organization's lifetime, certain individuals make their mark and help shape the organization's mission and vision. We know those individuals cannot stay with us forever but must pursue new and exciting endeavors. Read to see a brief look at five remarkable accomplishments during Caetano’s five years of service.

C3 has embarked on a blog series examining the relationship between performance metrics, competitive and non-competitive State and Federal funding programs, and the decisions—from the small to the great—that transit agencies can implement to maximize their share of annual grant funding.

This blog post is the first in a series that dives into competitive and formula funding for transit in Virginia.

In this blog, C3 Intern Abigail Gruener discusses the urban heat island effect and how it impacts local communities in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA. Read on to learn how cumulative impacts for residents affected by urban heat islands are thrown into a vicious cycle of high energy bills and high risks to heat.

In this blog post, we identify and discuss a choice before them: to investigate the purchase of newer diesel hybrids instead of diesel buses during the transition to ZEBs.

Six months ago, C3 officially expanded its reach from Charlottesville into Richmond. This corresponded with C3’s Climate Services Manager, Jacqui Bauer’s own move to the area. Read on to see how Jacqui and C3 have grown into Richmond together along with other reflections of what’s to come as we continue to advocate for local climate solutions in the area!

In 2023, C3 announced its expansion to Richmond, VA alongside the hiring of full-time staff based in the capital. Now, months later, C3 has hit the ground running, hard at work on a variety of projects and initiatives. Check out the blog below to learn more about what C3 has already accomplished in RVA and what we’re working on next!

Charlottesville’s City Council will vote on Monday, June 17, whether to approve Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT)’s equity-forward ten-year Transit Strategic Plan (TSP). During the lead-up to the vote, CAT’s public feedback webpage sought input on the draft TSP from residents, for which we at C3 created a set of advocacy talking points.