Furman University
IN-2: Innovation 2

Furman’s Community Conservation Corps (CCC) is a home weatherization program for low-income homeowners in the Greenville Community. The mission of the CCC is to reduce energy consumption and promote the financial stability of homeowners in the greater Greenville Community. The CCC was founded in 2010, and is staffed by two AmeriCorps members who are part of the United Way of Greenville County’s Corps United Program focused on financial stability. The program is entirely externally funded by Piedmont Natural Gas, the TD Charitable Trust, and the Bank of America Foundation. Though weatherization programs are cropping up in the higher education community as ways in which to create local carbon offsets, Furman has focused on creating a weatherization program with verifiable and complete data – not just pre- and post-weatherization data, but also two to three years of energy bill data, with the best interest of the homeowner in mind, and by working together with other organizations in the community who are focused on similar endeavors. Partners include Furman’s Heller Service Corps, Community Relations Department, and Shi Center for Sustainability, as well as Upstate Forever, the City of Greenville, the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority, Habitat for Humanity, the Greenville Pediatric Asthma Community Collaborative, the United Way of Greenville County, and local contractors and energy auditors. The CCC is included as an innovation credit because it is not adequately represented by other STARS credits: it is not yet a local carbon offsets program, it does not fit only into community service activities, and it is more than just a community sustainability partnership. Currently, the CCC has weatherized 40 homes and has 18 homes on its waiting list. Over time, the program will generate carbon offsets for Furman.