Due to covid-19 the 2021 Sustainability Symposium was scaled back and presented virtually. Accepted sessions that were not included in the main event are listed below. Many were presented as individual events. See event dates and links to video replays below, where applicable.
Understanding Philadelphia's Residential Energy Burden
This session will feature the findings from The Office of Sustainability’s energy burden focus groups held with 60 Philadelphians to inform the development of equitable energy policy.
Speakers:
- Cheyenne Flores, City of Philadelphia, Office of Sustainability
- Charles Lanier, Hunting Park Neighborhood Action Center
- Christine Knapp, Director, City of Philadelphia, Office of Sustainability (moderator)
What Good Could Look Like (presented on 11/9/2021, replay included in USGBC subscription)
As part of an update to the region’s long-range plan, DVRPC developed exploratory scenarios for Greater Philadelphia. This session will explore these “alternate futures” and examine a Living Future scenario.
Speakers:
- Brett Fusco, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
- Kendra Nelson, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
- Christopher Lee, JacobsWyper Architects
- Amy Cornelius, GreenBeams (moderator)
Beyond Passive House – Equitable Decarbonization
As a collective of holistic-thinking Passive House Consultants, Passive to POSITIVE will share how we incorporate embodied carbon awareness into our work advising clients on a multitude of Passive House projects.
Speakers:
- Michael Hindle, Passive to POSITIVE
- Esther Park, Passive to POSITIVE
- Christina Abmann, Passive to POSITIVE
The Consequences of Sustainability Without Systemic Change (presented on 12/2/2021 in conjunction with Delaware Community Council event, replay not yet available)
The session will outline some of the underlying racial, economic, and historical factors that act as built-in constraints to transformative change in the sustainability arena.
Speakers:
- Jeffrey Richardson, Imani Energy, Inc.
Healthy Building - Healthy People, Engineering Well-Being in the Built Environment (presented on 11/18/2021, replay included in USGBC subscription)
This presentation will explore how the intersection of health, equity, and environmental sustainability creates a new project framework that is focused on the overall well-being of the users.
Speakers:
- Andrew Horning, Bala Consulting Engineers
- Matthew Ezold, Bala Consulting Engineers
Communicating successes to bolster organizational support
Perspectives from the City of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and sustainability consultant Samantha Wittchen on how communicating successes helps bolster organization support for sustainability initiatives.
Speakers:
- Madeline Schuh, The City of Philadelphia
- Samantha Wittchen, iSpring
- Nina Morris, The University of Pennsylvania
- Dominic McGraw, The City of Philadelphia (moderator)
Retrocommissioning: The Lever to Building Tune-Up Success (presented on 11/3/2021, replay not yet available)
Building science and PECO engineering experts discuss how retro-commissioning can provide both energy and non-energy benefits to building owners in Philadelphia facing Building Tune-Up requirements in the coming months.
Speakers:
- Mary Alcaraz, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Hadas Webb, Cimetrics, Inc.,
- Agbesi Akpedonu, PECO Energy Efficiency Solutions
- Jeff Byers, PECO (moderator)
Diversifying a Diversity Organization - How Professional Women in Construction is pumping up the pipeline (being presented in Spring of 2022)
Professional Women in Construction supports, advances, and connects women throughout the AEC industry. Hear how they are pumping up the program to diversify their organization so you can too.
Speakers:
- Maki San Miguel Paulson, Verde Architecture Consulting LLC
- Amee Farrell, Kaplin Stewart Meloff Reiter & Stein
- Tyra Redus, Skanska USA Building Inc.
