Exciting news for Pennsylvania: 2015 ICC Codes will be effective (in almost their entirety) on October 1, 2018! There were certainly some compromises made, but compared to the stalemate that has plagued PA building codes, this is amazing! Well, what do we mean in almost their entirety? This is a document of the Review and […]
A brief update on Pennsylvania Building Code and Solar Borders policies this week as a couple good things have been happening. Building Codes: On Tuesday the Review and Advisory Council voted on the last section of the 2015 codes for adoption – the International Energy Conservation Code, the most contentious section. Fortunately, I was able […]
A barrier for many businesses considering energy efficiency retrofits is upfront capital. Even if there is institutional will, a business owner must first and foremost meet daily expenses, and then consider the commitments throughout the entire period of repayment. But what if the debt were tied to the building in question? How would the financial […]
So. Building Codes. There it is, a title as unvarnished as its subject. There’s no dressing up building codes. They can’t be set to plucky music. So why are they worthy of your attention? Well to start, Pennsylvania’s inability to adopt up-to-date codes is costing you money. And I don’t just mean if you live […]
Mayor Peduto of Pittsburgh and Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia have spoken out in support not only of a new federal power plan, but also a way to comply that puts those most vulnerable (those who spend the highest portion of their income on energy bills) first. The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon pollution from […]
When Richard Piacentini and the board of Phipps began planning for the conversion of the former public works garage into an exhibit staging center, there was no discussion of delivering the project in a manner other than to the most rigorous environmental standards. Rather than viewing the Center for Sustainable Landscapes as a one-off demonstration […]
A big vote is coming up on Tuesday February 24 that we need your help on. Please contact your state representative and ask them to leave the LEED and Green Globes incentives in the bill so that we can have more green schools. HB 210 goes to vote on Tuesday the 24th. This bill makes […]
