Philadelphia's Director of Sustainability, Mark Alan Hughes, answers our readersThis month's column is my last as Director of Sustainability and my question comes from the editors of GridQ: What is the most important or surprising lesson you’ve learned during your time as Director of Sustainability?
MorePhiladelphia's Director of Sustainability, Mark Alan Hughes, answers our readersQ: The tax abatement costs the city millions in revenue, and discourages the renewal of existing buildings, thus causing the waste of huge amounts of energy and new construction material, while not requiring any more labor (that is, it doesn’t create jobs compared to restoring existing
More2 mins read
Philadelphia's Director of Sustainability, Mark Alan Hughes, answers our readersQ: I’ve heard rumors that all new construction in the city will be required to be LEED certified or Energy Star rated. I’m sure these are just rumors, but what measures are being taken towards making new construction, including residential, more sustainable? The sustainable strategies include,
More1 min read
Philadelphia’s Director of Sustainability, Mark Alan Hughes, answers our readers
Q: When I saw you speak at Johnny Brenda’s a few months ago, you mentioned an idea to make Philadelphia government offices more energy-conscious by tracking their usage, setting goals and rewarding conservation efforts. Since that time, Mayor Nutter has announced massive cutbacks and I couldn’t
2 mins read
Q: [What is] your vision for residential solar power in Philadelphia’s energy future? Many Philadelphians, like me, have homes with flat roofs that receive plenty of direct sunlight. Is the city considering any programs that would help us tap into that potential power, like California’s “Million Solar Roofs” project?—Tom Schrand, Director of the Environmental Sustainability
More2 mins read