The residents of the homes on Philadelphiaâ??s 1200 block of Wolf Street will celebrate victory in â??The Coolest Blockâ? contest at a party on June 19th that will also mark the official start of work on energy efficiency upgrades for the block. Sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company, the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia (ECA) and the City of Philadelphia, the contest brought dozens of communities and neighborhoods together to compete for energy efficiency improvements that will help keep their homes cooler in summer and warmer in winter and lower their utility bills.
The â??Coolest Blockâ? contest is part of a larger effort to make Philadelphia â??the greenest city in America,â? and Saturdayâ??s festivities will draw a number of prominent supporters of the energy efficiency initiative. Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who recently signed legislation requiring that all new residential and commercial construction in the city include reflective or green roofing, will attend, as well as nationally acclaimed â??cool roofâ? advocate Dr. Hashem Akbari, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal and a member of the Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who is currently coordinating the â??100 Cool Citiesâ? initiative to cool urban heat islands and counter global warming.
Torsten Kraef, group vice president, Building and Construction for The Dow Chemical Company, said, â??Reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions has become a critical issue for our society. The â??Coolest Blockâ? contest winners prove that communities that have access to affordable and practical solutions will become active participants in energy efficiency initiatives. When residents, local governments and businesses come together, the potential for positive change is tremendous.â?
For inhabitants of Philadelphiaâ??s traditional row homes, built before many of todayâ??s energy-saving technologies were available, the departure from sweltering summers and drafty winters will indeed be a welcome change. The residents of the winning 1200 block of Wolf Street will benefit from the application of elastomeric roof coatings manufactured by ACRYMAX Technologies Inc., which contain Dowâ??s acrylic technology. Additionally, following an energy audit from basement to rooftop, the homes will be retrofitted with Dowâ??s air sealing and insulation products, such as its THERMAXâ?¢ Sheathing, FROTH-PAKâ?¢ Foam Insulation, and GREAT STUFFâ?¢ Foam Sealant, to reduce air leakage, further improve the indoor comfort and realize up to 30 percent energy savings.
â??At Dow, weâ??re on an ongoing journey to bring practical, affordable energy-efficient solutions to cities and communities around the world,â? said Kraef. â??A few weeks ago, in Michigan, we unveiled â?" with our partners â?" a Net Zero Energy home that generates more energy than it uses, thanks to many Dowâ??s advanced building technologies and products. Here in Philadelphia, weâ??re especially proud to play a role in â??greeningâ? this great cityâ??s future and preserving the charm of its history-steeped neighborhoods.
â??As longtime corporate neighbors, we fully support the Cityâ??s and the ECAâ??s efforts to promote energy efficiency education and awareness among all Philadelphia residents. Dowâ??s own 2015 Sustainability Goals include commitment to helping the world address climate change issues, commitment to the success of the communities in which we live and work, and our internal commitment to more efficient use of resources. Our Sustainability Goals and the RetroFit Philly initiative are anchored in the same sense of responsibility for our worldâ??s future.â?
