The City of Asheville is reducing its carbon footprint. This is good and responsible, but a few of the green actions it has taken burn carbon calories in raising eyebrows. These are:

  1. $130,000 Civic Center HVAC retrofits with a payback period of 26 years,
  2. $558,000 in “building automation” with a payback period of 15.5 years,
  3. $500,000 in City Hall window replacement with a payback period of 62.5 years, and
  4. $200,000 in insulation with a payback period of 20 years.