COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE ON THE ENVIRONMENT - - - Room 400, City Hall Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Thursday, April 8, 2010, 1:10 p.m. - - - Bill 090923 - Amending Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by amending Subcode "B" ("The Philadelphia Building Code"), by adding a provision requiring that certain buildings have roof coverings that are white in color or Energy Star-rated as highly reflective; and by making conforming amendments to Subcode "R" ("The Philadelphia Residential Code"); all under certain terms and conditions. COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: James F. Kenney, Chair Blondell Reynolds Brown, Vice Chair Frank DiCicco Curtis Jones, Jr. - - - 2 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I apologize for the delay. This is a meeting of the Committee on the Environment to listen to testimony on Bill No. 090923, which is an ordinance amending Title 4 of the Philadelphia Code, entitled "The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code," by amending Subcode "B" ("The Philadelphia Building Code"), by adding a provision requiring that certain buildings have roof coverings that are white in color or Energy Star-rated as highly reflective; and by making conforming amendments to Subcode "R" ("The Philadelphia Residential Code"); all under certain terms and conditions. The first witness on the list is Katherine Gajewski, from the Mayor's Office of Sustainability; is she here? (Witnesses come forward.)
Councilman 3 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 DiCicco told me that we're saving energy in the room today by not having the air-conditioning on, so we apologize. (Laughter.) Please identify yourself for the record.
Katherine Gajewski. I'm the Director of the Mayor's Office of Sustainability. Good afternoon, Councilman Kenney and members of the Committee on the Environment.
I'm Katherine Gajewski, Director of Sustainability, and I'm here to testify on Bill No. 090923, which proposes that cool roofs be required on all new construction projects in Philadelphia. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 sustainability plan. One of the Greenworks' goals is to reduce the amount of energy Philadelphians consume. Target 2 of the plan sets an ambitious goal of reducing citywide building energy consumption by percent by the year 8 2015. 9 Adopting this cool roof 10 requirement will help to move Philadelphia closer to this goal by helping business owners and residents to reduce their energy, which will also save them money. The Mayor's Office of Sustainability worked together with Councilman Kenney's office and the Department of Licenses and Inspections to ensure that this legislation appropriately addresses the issues. This bill seeks to accelerate market transformation to a cool roof standard in the building and roofing sectors by modifying the existing building code. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 smarter and keeps compliance simple by using the industry standard of Energy Star cool roof rating. The incentive to use white-roof technology exists already in the form of energy cost savings; and since there is no cost premium, the payback is immediate. Cool roofs come in many forms and are virtually identical in cost to conventional roof materials and new construction applications. Cools roofs have been around for decades and are widely used in commercial and residential development. White roofs can be applied as tiles, membranes, shingles, or coatings, and are suitable for all kinds of flat roofs. Cities and states across the country currently require cool roofs for new construction due to their widely acknowledged environmental, economic, and energy-efficiency benefits. Several cities, including Chicago, New York, and Houston, have had a cool roof code requirement on the books for years. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 California; North Carolina, Florida, and several other states have as well. It's important to note the multitude of benefits associated with cool roofs. First and foremost, a means a cooler building. Because most of the sun's heat is kept out of a building with a cool roof, air-conditioning demand can decrease by up to 30 percent, which represents significant savings to building owners. A cool roof also lasts longer, which is an important point. By deflecting damaging solar radiation that breaks down roofing materials over time, a cool roof coating or membrane can extend roof life by five to ten years. Cool roof coatings can also be reapplied over time, which means that a well-maintained cool roof could last twice as long as a conventional roof. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 out of the landfills. Cooler buildings use less air-conditioning, which decreases energy consumption and harmful greenhouse-gas emissions. During the summer months, densely-developed areas suffer from the urban heat island effect. Urban areas with high concentrations of dark-roof surfaces and pavement get much hotter during the day and don't cool off as much at night. The overall result is a warmer air temperature, which leads to reduced air quality. Cool roofing and paving materials are among the best solutions to these environmental and public-health issues. The Mayor's Office of Sustainability supports the effort to advance the market adoption of sustainable-building solutions that are sensible and cost-neutral. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 economic issues with impacts on communities and neighborhoods. That's why, in February of this year, Mayor Nutter announced the launch of the citywide Retrofit Philly Cool Roof Block Contest, which is underway right now. The winner of this competition will receive energy-saving cool roofs for their entire block.
The contest is a partnership between the City, Dow Building Supply, and the Energy Coordinating Agency, and seeks to promote the many benefits of cool roof and educate business owners about the benefits in requiring cool roofs and educate citizens and business owners about the benefits. In requiring cool roofs on new buildings, this bill formalizes a building practice that is already common and does not pass on added cost to buildings or building owners. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 cool-roof products and practices into the market. Thank you. And I am happy to answer any questions.
Thank you very much. Is there any testimony from Mr. Martin and Mr. Haigler?
Good day. I am Otis Haigler, Jr., Director of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Licenses and Inspections. I'm here with Brett Martin, our code compliance specialist, from the department. We concur with the testimony that was given by Miss Gajewski, and we are here to answer any questions.
Thank you. And thank you for that testimony. I just have a few brief questions. 10 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Is there a cost differential in applying a white roof as opposed to your traditional tars?
Yeah, we've been doing a lot of research into that; and at this point, it's pretty much cost- neutral to the black-tar, traditional roof material. The cost has come down over time pretty, and it's pretty much a standard application now.
The second question I would have is: Conventional wisdom says, if it keep it cool in the summer, does it keep it cool also in the winter? Is there a differential that will be paid by applying a white roof in the winter by way of heating that same property?
Alex, do you want to speak to this? (Witness comes forward.)
This is Alex Duce from the Mayor's Office of Sustainability. 11 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
My name is Alex Duce, Office of sustainability. What's sometimes referred to as "the heating penalty" in the wintertime has actually been disproven because the sun angles at that of year much lower, so there is no heating loss incurred by buildings with a white roof.
Plus I understand that there is a line, I guess, across the country that you're either above or below. If -- and we're kind of right on it, where we have more cooling days -- we need to cool the inside of the building more times during the year than we do to heat it.
Is there a different application by way of hot 12 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 tars or -- yeah, is there a different application that would have pushback from the industries such as the roofers? Has there been any negotiations with them about what this impact will have on their industry?
There are a number of different ways that you can apply a cool-roof coating or a cool-roof membrane, and it's pretty widespread in the building industry. And so, as far as I'm aware, there's no pushback.
Are they -- it's the same people putting them up, basically?
That's correct. Some of the manufacturers of the products do require a certification to work with their product. But, no, it's not a different -- it's not an altogether different process.
Thank you, 13 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Mr. Chairman.
Thank you very much. Any questions for these witnesses? (No further questions or comments.)
Seeing none, we'll call Joe Rokowski and Cory Suter. (Witnesses come forward.)
Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed.
And I'm Cory Suter. I'm a small-roofing contractor here, in the City.
Good morning, Councilmembers. Thanks for having me here. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 the Dow Advanced Materials Division of the Dow Chemical Company, headquartered here in Philadelphia. I've been a research scientist with Dow Chemical for 27 years in the building and construction group, and 8 of those 27 years has been with the Rohm 9 and Haas Company. I've been working on 10 elastomeric roof coatings for the last 11 ten years, and they're a big part of my 12 life. 13 It's a pleasure to be here to 14 provide commentary on Representative 15 Kenney's bill. 16 Dow Chemical is a global 17 company involved in a lot of facets of 18 the building and construction industry. 19 We provide a lot of innovative materials 20 to buildings and construction, from 21 Styrofoam insulation to the GREAT STUFF 22 foam in a can, to polymers for 23 elastomeric white-roof coatings. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 seek to improve our nation's energy security, address global warming, and help consumers manage their energy costs. Rohm and Haas/Dow has supported Philadelphia in a cool-roofing program a number of years, and we came out with the first elastomeric roof-coating polymer in 1980, and it's still in wide use today. In the early 2000s, we provided polymeric ingredients to make elastomeric roof coatings for the Energy Coordinating Agency of Philadelphia Cool Block Program under the leadership of Liz Robinson. And recently, to support the continuing education of the community, we are currently partnered with the City of Philadelphia and the ECA on the Retrofit Philly Cool Block Contest. So we really believe in the goals and the aims to convert a lot of roofs from dark colors to white for sustainability and energy improvement. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 A degree increase in air temperature increases smog by percent and energy and demand by 2 percent, so you can imagine what the savings and implications are if we drop the temperature of a roof from 150 degrees down to 120 degrees, and that's a common thing to do. S. Secretary of Energy, and Nobel-winning scientist, said that making roofs and pavements white or light-colored would help to reduce global warming by both conserving energy and reflecting sunlight back into space. It would, he said, be the equivalent of taking all of the cars in the world off the road for 11 years; he said this only a couple of months ago, so the awareness is out there. Elastomeric Roof Coatings, we believe are very sustainable, cost-effective, and easy solutions to help enhance energy savings in homes and preserve the integrity of roofs. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 that these coatings and white-roof coating membranes can be useful tools to help satisfy the requirements for this bill in new construction. You probably heard this many times. You know, reflective roofs can prevent heat from being absorbed into the home. White elastomeric roof coatings can typically provide a 50- to 80-degree cooler roof temperature than normal. This helps create a more comfortable air temperature environment and reduce air-conditioning costs by as much as 15 percent. We have a lot of data and a lot 16 of information that we've generated over 17 the years on this. 18 These coatings are easy to 19 apply. They're water-borne and they're 20 thick. Once applied, they go down in two coats and a very thick membrane. If you had pulled the membrane off the roof, this is what it would look like. It's very thick, nice and pliable, it stays white for a long period of time. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 So the energy savings is a part of the value of elastomeric roof coatings. And once some of the questions come up about the impact of applying roof coatings in a northern climate, that is one facet of it. But the major thing is the sustainability part of it.
Even if you don't get all of the energy savings or a maximum amount of energy savings, as in the northern climates like, you know, Minnesota and places like that, it still serves to protect the roof from ultraviolet radiation, so you don't have to tear the roof off, so that you can keep that out of the landfill and don't have to replace it every ten years. And that's a big advantage on the sustainability side. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 membranes. That means working closely with our customers -- approved roof-coating manufacturers who buy our resins. They're the experts on these formulations. We help them, we work with them, they work with us. For a new roof construction, it helps to have a coater who's a trained applicator who knows which coating to use on a given substrate and who has knowledge and skill to apply it correctly. So, in closing, I'd like to state that for many people in Philadelphia and across the country, the cost of energy is the second-highest expense next to the mortgage or the rent. We are working to constantly improve the performance of the elastomeric cool-roof technology right here in Pennsylvania. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 energy (indiscernible), and save consumers money. Philadelphia can be the leader in providing a simple, cost-effective solution to our energy problems.
Thank you very much. Just one issue that came up when we talked about green roofs in some of our past hearings. One of the benefits to the green-roof technology was that the water had a chance to filter through as opposed to bringing with it the chemicals that are on the tar roof into the storm-water system and then has to be treated. Is there any improvement to the water quality that's coming off a roof into a downspout on a white roof?
I think Cory can answer this better. I think he's got some experience with vegetated roofing. But if the vegetated roofing is designed well, you can manage the water 21 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 to come in and to not be exposed to any of those materials --
-- and be usable for a lot of different applications other than being potable water.
But my question is: Does the white roof provide less intrusion of bad chemicals into the storm-water system by it not being asphalt?
I can't speak to what the vegetated roofing and runoff from that roofing brings. I do know this: We do have formulations, and they're very, very similar to the ones that are used now in Philadelphia, that are used in steep-slope roofs in the Caribbean. And if we take out one or two ingredients -- not ours, but other formulation ingredients -- they are suitable for potable water. So the rain water can land on 22 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 'em, can run down the gutter, can be collected in a 55-gallon drum, and the residents could drink that water. They're certified NSF formulations that are suitable for that.
Can a layperson assume by this, then, that one can purchase what you just illustrated here at a local Home Depot and Lowe's and 23 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 stores of that?
White elastomeric roof coatings? They're available in the -- those are the ones you're talking about, correct?
Yes. They're available in Lowe's, Home Depot, a lot of hardware stores. They're in a lot of distribution centers in the United States. So they're very, very easy to find.
Very easy to find, okay. And say it slowly, what that 24 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 is. I keep missing it. It's called a white...?
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for having these important hearings, 'cause I do think it can make a difference in Philadelphia, and it's one step closer to reducing our carbon footprint as a municipality. Are there varying levels of intensity or thickness or texture to these so that one might be a commercial, the other industrial? Are there different --
That's a good question. So are there different grades 25 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 of coating --
There are. It's best to use coatings that are recommended by the National Roof Coatings Association or that fully meet Energy Star. There are a large of number of products on the DOE Energy Star Website. And if you look in there under "roof coatings," there's a listing of approved coatings that meet solar reflectivity requirements for elastomeric roof coatings.
You mentioned in your testimony that some need to be applied through certified installers. Can you elaborate from -- Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown's comments was, can anyone buy 'em at Home Depot? The question begs itself: Should anyone who doesn't know what 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 they're doing buy 'em at Home Depot, and at what level do you require, or should we require, that type of certification?
Normally, with respect to this bill -- and this bill is for new construction, correct?
If it's new construction, we would recommend a professional contractor; they have the experience, they know how to install it, they know how to prepare the roof, they know the right coating to buy. You want to do it right from the start. And there are a number of coatings and contractors that are geared towards new construction.
Before you start, you could also buy a heater or a water heater at Lowe's and Home Depot and 27 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 put 'em in yourself, and that's more frightening than the roof 'cause you're dealing with gas there. So there's lots of stuff you can buy there that's a pain. But go ahead. I'm sorry.
Certainly. I'm Cory Suter. I'm a small-roofing contractor here, in the City of Philadelphia. I think one distinction that's important to make is that there are white membranes that are like a whole cool-roof system, such as, TPO, which is a thermal plastic, or PBC, which is another type of plastic, versus the coatings. And those membranes typically require additional certifications, which myself, as a smaller roofer, has not been able to get to be install those type of membranes; I 28 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 haven't gone through the training to do that yet. However, there was no training required for me to learn how to put on the acrylic coatings that are being talked about. And those acrylic coatings are available -- to answer another question that was brought up -- at Home Depot and Lowe's as well as a number of roofing supply and hardware stores in the City. There are some roofing-supply companies, particularly Ivan Roofing, that does not yet supply any of the white acrylics. However, in talking with their management, they said that if enough demand came, they would definitely be supplying it. And so sometimes, it's just -- it does take time for some of the roofers to change the type of materials that they're working with because they get comfortable with a certain type of roofing material. However, these 29 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 coatings are pretty easy -- can be learned how to install in a relatively short amount of time. I worked with -- I've been teaching some classes here, in the City, about green roofs and cool roofs. And in about half an hour of classroom training and in about twenty minutes of on-the-job training, I've gone over all of the basics that were needed to be able to install these white coatings properly.
I guess where I'm going is: Is there a suggestion, and as we go through our chairman, under these circumstances, this regulation, should there be a certification required? because if we're putting up a rec center roof, you know, and we're dealing with materials that need to be handled in a particular way or installed in a particular way or with some knowledge as to not allow them to mix with other chemicals, you work for Dow Chemical. 30 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
If I put on that roof, please believe their scenario about the water heater is as frightening as me putting on that roof. So I'm asking for suggestions, I guess, as to where this certification should apply.
I do have one. I don't know if certification is required. As Cory said, if it's a white TPO membrane, a white plastic membrane like this, they have performance standards built into them. The installers know how to install them. If you have a white acrylic roof coating, all you have to do is follow the manufacturer's guidelines and recommendations for what substrate it should be on, how the substrate should be cleaned, how thick it should be applied, under what circumstances it has to dry. If you follow the guidelines for these products, I think you're -- you 31 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 won't have any trouble.
And it doesn't really take that much training to get non-contractors to apply these white elastomeric water-borne roof coatings to roofs. And this is a perfect example. Corey's been doing it for a while.
Yeah. These coatings are essentially like a thick, rubberized paint that's brushed on the roof. The most important things to do in preparation of putting on these coatings are to properly clean the roof so that there's not a layer of dust that would cause the coatings not to adhere; and also, there needs to be roofing knowledge on how to make any necessary repairs prior to putting down the coating, 'cause the roof has to be in fair to good condition, using standard roofing procedures. There's an acrylic patching cement that's used to prepare 32 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 flashings and penetrations. So I mean, at this point, to my knowledge, there's not a test that needs to be passed to become a roofer in this city or a certain certification. And I think if we were talking about that, that would be a separate bill that would need to be required for there to be an additional level of training and certification for those that are doing roofs in this city. But as far as these white coatings go, there's not that much of an extra level of complication between doing them and doing more traditional types of roof. And, in fact, they're a lot of safer for the roofer's health -- I'm kind of going off on my testimony in an attempt to kind of best answer the questions that have been laid out here. But one of the things that's really attractive about these white coatings and white roofs is that they are 33 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 low VOC, so there is less volatile organic chemicals and other toxic chemicals that have -- as studies have shown and as I have written in testimony, a roofer's life expectancy is significantly lower than the average population because of their exposure to harsh chemicals.
Thank you very much. Any other questions? Do you have testimony?
So I'd like to offer my testimony and also answer another question that was brought up, which is: How are these -- do these cool roofs make good sense in our climate? And what I have experienced as a roofer and know is that, indeed, the worst time to have a black roof that is heating up is in the wintertime because when the -- when a roof is heating up in 34 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 the wintertime, it's expanding; and then once the sun goes behind the clouds at night, it freezes and contracts. And so, that's what often causes these membranes to break down quicker. On top of that, the sun is less direct in the horizon; as Alex Duce brought up, the sun is less intense. However, there is some energy -- there is a net energy gain overall. What happens in the wintertime is that you actually do increase your heating costs for the home just a little bit, but that is offset by the cooling costs in our climate. And the biggest cost savings of these cool roofs is the roof longevity.
Do you want to offer formal testimony, or you've summarized your testimony for the most part, or is there anything you need to add?
I've been trying to summarize the testimony that I thought 35 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 would be most useful to Council. If there's any questions that Council would have, I would be more than happy to address them the best that I can. Looking over my testimony, I think that I've hit a lot of points. I know cool roofs really are a proven technology. All of Wal-Mart stores are now being built with cool-roofing membranes. They simply last longer and result, in most climates here in the states, in overall energy savings. So if there's no further direct questions for me, I'll let my written testimony stand as presented.
Liz Robinson, Christine Knapp, and Janet Milkman. Thank you. (Witnesses come forward.)
Hi. 36 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Whoever would like to start, please identify yourself for the record.
I'm Liz Robinson. Good afternoon, Councilman Kenney, Jones, Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown and Councilman DiCicco. Thank you very much for holding these hearings. ECA is a nonprofit corporation whose mission is to help people save energy and to work toward a sustainable and equitable energy future for all in the Philadelphia area. ECA administers almost all the low-income energy services in the City and has been a leader in green jobs training and in increasing energy efficiency and sustainable of housing statewide. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 repeat much of the enumeration of benefits, but just to summarize: Cool roofs will help reduce energy costs; reduce peak electrical load; have positive public-health benefits; extend the life of roofs and, thereby, reduce building maintenance costs. They will also help mitigate the urban heat island effect, and they may even help slow climate change if we do enough of them. So how can one single technology do all of these wonderful things. You've heard a bit about their properties. I'd like to extend the testimony in the direction of public health by explaining how we got involved in doing white-roof coatings. ECA began using white-roof coatings on existing rowhomes in 1994 in an effort to develop an affordable cooling approach for homes principally occupied by elderly, low-income people. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 As you may remember, the 1990s were the hottest decade on record. " So during the summer of 1993, 118 people died of heat-related illness; most were elderly, low-income people living without air-conditioning or with just a single window unit in one home. The Philadelphia rowhome is essentially a brick box, with a flat, tar roof, a flat, black-tar roof. And during the summer, these roofs become unintentional solar collectors, reaching temperatures as high as 198 degrees. They transfer much of that heat to the brick walls and other materials of the home. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 degrees on the top floor even though it might only be 95 outside of the. This house essentially is becoming literally becoming a brick oven. As climate change proceeds, these killer heat waves are predicted to become more frequent and more intense. ECA designed the Cool Homes Program in response to the problem of increasingly frequent and deadly heat waves and has thus far changed almost 600 roofs in the City from black to white. The energy savings are approximately to percent in this 16 climate. And if I could clarify a little 17 bit around the heating penalty. 18 So the white roof will reduce 19 air-conditioning load by 20 to 22 20 percent. There is a theoretical heating 21 penalty in the winter; theoretical 22 because nobody has gotten any field data, but this is an engineering estimate of how much your heating bill would rise. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 did not have any insulation. So if the building is insulated, there will be no 4 heating penalty from a white roof. If there is no insulation, there is an engineering estimate of a 3 percent increase in heating load. Unfortunately, whenever we install a white roof, we always insulate. So it's just a part of the procedure. So we combine -- the best combination is insulation -- air sealing, insulation, and a white roof. And those, frankly, are the three measures that Dow is providing through the Retrofit Philly Cool Block Contest program. The other thing that's very important to understand about cool roofs is the peak load reduction. As you know, peak load is the most expensive load for PECO or any utility to generate. By reducing peak load, cool roofs will lower the price of electricity year-round for all of us. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 end of this calendar year, with PECO's rate caps coming off, reducing peak load is really critical to all of us. I wanted to also mention on the issue of improving the longevity of the roof.
In ECA's experience working in low-income home and low-income homes, roof condition, the Philly rowhome, the flat roof, the low-slope roof frankly is the Achilles heel of the building. It's the point of failure, a very common point of failure. And right now, this is kind of large for us because we are targeting high users in the Weatherization Assistance Program, and we have to reject 51 percent of these users because the home is in such poor condition that we cannot insulate it. And very, very often, it's because the roof is actively leaking, beyond our ability to repair it. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 impact and the potential to reduce climate change. I did want to comment on training. I do think that training will be useful in introducing anytime there are new technologies introduced. As we move the City toward higher levels of sustainable, training is really critical, and I do think that training in these coatings is a very important thing to consider and to make opportunities for. I don't think we would need a certification just for white-roof coating or white roofing; I agree with the previous testimony on that point. And just in closing, I congratulate Council for introducing this legislation. I think it will be the beginning of a much more sustainable and a much cooler city.
Yes. 43 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Thank you for that input, particularly letting us know about the heating differential and the importance of insulation. When you say "insulation," is there any recommended type? I know heat rises. Are we talking about insulation at the roof level?
Are we talking about reinforcing windows? Give me a little --
Insulation at the roof level is where you would have the greatest impact, so at the top of the building, because warm air rises. You know, most of the heat loss in a building will occur through the roof.
I mean, that just puts clarification on it. To do both is the best of --
Thank you, 44 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Mr. Chairman.
Thank you very much. Please, whoever would like to go next, please proceed.
Good afternoon. My name is Christine Knapp. I'm the Director of Outreach, at Penn Future. Penn Future is a statewide environmental advocacy organization that works to create a just future where nature, community, and the economy thrive. We enforce environmental laws and advocate for the transformation of public policy, public opinion, and the marketplace to restore and protect the environment and safeguard public health. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 neighborhoods, and increase economic competitiveness. I'd like to thank Councilman Kenney and the other Councilmembers who are here today for their time and your leadership in moving this legislation forward. I'm happy to add to the record my support for this legislation. And others have already enumerated the many benefits that cool roofs have. They make good economic sense in saving homeowners money on their cooling bills and also on, as Liz pointed out, that -- the cool roofs are generally more durable, so they last longer, saving homeowners more money there. And additionally, they're -- it's creating some job potential for the people who would actually be installing the cool roofs. Cool roofs are good for our health, reducing the urban heat island effect and reducing heat-related deaths. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 environmental sense -- reducing energy consumption and reducing our reliance on oil and gas and other fuels whose mining, production, and transportation all damage our environment and contribute to climate change. What I really want to touch on is how this legislation is really adding and is a key part of the other initiatives that are already going on in this city to make us the greenest city in America. So the environmental community has obviously been a leader on this front. There's dozens of organizations that have been advocating for years for smart policies to reduce our carbon footprint, reduce energy consumption, make our communities healthier. One of the next Great City recommendations that all of these organizations have come together to support was to make buildings in Philadelphia more energy-efficient. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 passage of the legislation that Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown introduced requiring new City building to meet LEEDS standards was definitely an excellent step in the right direction, and I think this legislation also fits in with that work in making buildings in Philadelphia more energy-efficient and smarter. There's also groups like Delaware Valley Green Building Council and the Energy Coordinating Agency, Habitat for Humanity and others that are partners that advocate for building greener buildings. And other groups in the City have also been advocating for policies that create green jobs. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 a hub of green-economy activities. There's a policy committee within that task force that I co-chair, and that was created in order to explore ways in which good public policy can drive the creation of green jobs. This legislation meets the criteria that that group looks for in that mandating the installation of cool roofs will open opportunities for existing roofers but also create new opportunities for unemployed or underemployed individuals to get trained and start working. Another sector that -- another way that this fits into is obviously with Mayor Nutter and his administration's Greenworks' ambitious sustainable plan. Among the targets in there is to retrofit 15 percent of housing stock with installation, air sealing, and cool roofs. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 percent. And then, of course, to make these two goals achievable, Greenworks also aims to engage in educating residents on how they can make decisions in their own lives that help to support these overall goals.
9 For example, the Mayor's Office 10 of Sustainability has partnered with ECA and with Dow for the Retrofit Philly Cool Block Contest, which, besides just engaging people, I think it's educating people about cool roofs, why they're important, and how you can go about getting one. And I think as more people learn about them as they see maybe their neighbors getting some installed, that education is just going to snowball into more and more people wanting to go out and get them on their home as well. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 efficiency. The passage of Act 129 requires that they reduce energy consumption among their customers or face penalties. To meet these goals, PECO will be rolling out a series programs and initiatives to help their customers make smart energy choices. And as rates caps come off in the PECO territory, and more and more customers will be looking for ways to save money on energy costs, a deeper understanding again of these cool roofs and a well-trained workforce ready to install them will be needed, and this legislation will help make that happen. " And we work to prove that every day. This legislation is a perfect example of public policy that can protect our environment while also saving money improving public health, and improving our economy; it's a win/win/win. And I encourage Council's support for it. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
Thank you very much for your testimony and for all your testimony over the years on all of our pieces of legislation. Tank you.
Any questions for Christine? (No questions or comments.)
My name is Janet Milkman. I'm the Executive Director of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council. Thank you, Councilman Kenney and members of the Environment Committee. My organization is a chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, and we have about a thousand members in the region from all parts of the green- building industry -- engineers, architects, construction, green-products manufacturers, folks that install the cool roofs, the folks that make the 52 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 materials. Are our mission is to improve the sustainability of our region through green-building practices, to save money, improve the environment, save energy, save water, reduce construction waste, and improve indoor environmental quality. We support this bill, and we support and encourage the use of cool roofs throughout the City and throughout the region we represent for all of the reasons that have been said, because they are good for the environment, they are good for human health. The technology is tested and easily available, the costs for cool roofs and non-cool roofs are similar. And I would just say that all -- and we have some more information in our testimony, which we have provided to you on that, but I think the thing I'd like to add today is that looking forward, we would really encourage the Council and the City Administration to 53 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 consider ways to encourage cool roofs for existing buildings and for steep-slope roofs in addition to the bill that you are -- that you have introduced now, which is a really excellent step. Reducing the citywide heat island effect can really only happen through large-scale adoption of a new standard when buildings are reroofed. The story that Liz told about the importance of those roofs to many of the existing buildings in the City, I think, is really telling. So each individual building that receives a white roof will definitely help, but it's existing buildings that have the poorest insulation and receive the greatest improvement and energy efficiency from reflective roofs. We'd also suggesting that, in the future, you consider using SRI values instead of the Energy Star values. They're becoming the industry standard. 54 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 They are the value that is used in the LEED standard, which is a part of the bill that Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown introduced and the Mayor recently. So in the future, maybe look towards the always-increasing technology that's out there. This is a great start and we really -- we applaud you for your leadership. We think that roofers probably do need some education and awareness about the best type of installation for the area, the climate, the buildings. And we are ready and willing to help you on all of those aspects.
Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions for these witnesses? Councilwoman Brown.
And I thank you for -- professionally you do this anyway, but for staying in close touch with the advances we're trying to make collectively. I have to say we've really worked in a collaborative way with these type of measures. So I want to make sure I heard you correctly in terms of recommendations, which I remember were two. SRI is the new technology and that's a acronym for...?
Uh-huh, okay. So that's a lesson for today. And the second is, did I hear you say something about steep roofs?
Right, in addition to flat roofs, which this bill 56 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 addresses.
Because there are a lot of existing buildings and potentially new buildings built with roofs that are sloped as opposed to flat and steep-sloped roofs also benefit from cool-roof application.
Yes. I just wanted to say thank you. To be perfectly honest, one of the best parts of being elected was to learn in a learning curve about the importance of the environment. I learned from groups like yours. And I had a really good intern that we recruited out of Philadelphia University who had to interpret everything you were saying to me. He was so good at it, they hired im, 57 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 the City of Philadelphia hire him from under me, Alex Duce back there. So I gave him a "Who?" when he came up. But I just want to thank you for all you do that translates and trickles in to public policy and actually changes our city. And our chairman is keenly aware of some of those cutting- edge issues and keeps us informed as a body. So I just wanted to say thank you.
Thank you, Councilman. Thank you very much. Bernadette Corujo, please. (Witness comes forward.)
Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.
Hello. My name is Bernadette Corujo. Thank you for hearing my testimony today. I am with the BASF Corporation. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 the BASF Corporation. We are a very large chemical company; we're the largest chemical company in the world. We employ 13,000 employees in the United States -- in North America; that's in North America, I'm sorry. We've taken a triple bottom line approach to sustainability, where we look at the environment, the economy, and the social impact of all of our products and processes. BASF has won multiple awards for safe sustainability. We were most recently voted the most sustainable chemical company in the world. We also are the first chemical company to join the Sustainability Consortium, which is a group of people that get together to talk about labeling programs that you'll be seeing things like Wal-Mart is a member as well, but we were the first chemical company to become a member of the Sustainability Consortium. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 BASF employs people in this region in Newport, Delaware, with an acquisition we made of Ciba Chemical Company. We also have -- in Bristol, Pennsylvania, we made an acquisition, so we employ people at that location as well as Minooka, Pennsylvania. Our North American headquarters are in floral Park, New Jersey, so a lot of our initiatives have been with the State of New Jersey. We recently -- well, in 2006, we made -- built a near-zero energy home so that we used a lot of the raw materials that go into making the products that go into the building materials in that home. And we won the Governor's Award. We've also three times won the American Chemical Council's Energy Efficiency Award. Those are just some of the awards that BASF has won. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 sustainability, which would include energy as an aspect of but not just green products. So, because of all of this, I wanted to say we were very excited to hear about this legislation, and we want to support this legislation that's presented here today. We make the polymers for the coatings, we make the polymers. We make the pigments and we make the additives that go into these materials, both in the coating as well as the membranes. So you can add additives to make the products perform differently. We also make the foam that can be used as installation. We make multiple types of coating, so it's not just acrylic; it could also be urethane or silicone. So we don't have a vested interest in one type of technology winning over another. We also make modifiers for asphalt. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 coatings or reflective roofs. We also have a product that goes on the inside of an attic. So there's multiple things. We believe in looking at the building envelope in total and understanding that, as was previously offered as testimony, that the roof is the first place to start. You want to have the insulation adequate so that you can get the most impact from your roofing product, your reflective roofing material, whatever it is that's the reflective coating. The only other couple things I wanted to add: I mentioned the locations and who we employ. We also have over 500 customers that we partner with in this area alone, so that's a lot of small businesses that serve this market. And we actively recruit from the University of Delaware, Drexel, Penn State, and the University of Pennsylvania. 10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 I had some comments about -- it's not a part of my testimony, but part of what I've heard so far, in terms of the drainage, some of the insulation you can do, you can either put in rigid insulation or you could spray insulation so that you could slope the roof to have the rain water run off. And then, you know, depending on where it goes, you could recycle that water. There's also materials that you can make to have pervious concrete or pervious asphalt to recycle and reclaim the water.
There's a lot of things you can do, but you can construct the roof in a way that you can get the kind of drainage you want to. You don't get the -- I think you were referring to ponding issues.
Yeah, well, coming 63 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 off with the water.
And then you can filter it through these -- whether it's pervious concrete or pervious asphalt if you wanted to.
You mentioned -- insulation was already discussed. And also, steep slope was mentioned. If it did extend to steep slope, I don't know that people would want it to be white 'cause you can see it, so -- but we also have reflective pigment. So if that became a separate bill, that would be something that also could be considered. So there's A lot of ways to skin a cat. But overall, I think it's critical that you've had two very large -- probably the number one and two, and we could argue over that -- chemical companies come and testify before you about supporting this legislation. 64 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
Thank you very much for your testimony. A couple of things. One, I would like to put on the record that the next time you're looking for acquisitions locations, look in Philadelphia too. We're delighted to hear about the benefit that the counties get. But in a friendly way, we would love to have your company seek out land acquisitions that are appropriate for your company as well. What is -- I believe you called this an O-O home; is that what you called it? Or was it a zero-zero home?
Net zero so that everything that you consume, using the home, it ends up being zero. You don't -- the electricity you consume you 65 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 get back. So all of the building materials in the home, you end up not spending any money for it.
And it was near net zero; it wasn't a hundred percent zero. There is -- actually, in Germany, we have a zero-net home.
And you say you have 500 customers -- (Indiscernible; parties talking over each other.)
We have over 500 customers in this area for the white-roof coatings. 66 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
And so that means persons who actually purchase the product -- businesses that actually purchase the products?
Right. We don't make the final products; we sell the ingredients to make the products.
So those people -- like previous people who have testified today make the coatings that would go on and the foam that would go on.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Where was the zero -- where was the house you were talking about?
It was in Patterson, New Jersey. 67 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
Yes. And, actually, I visited. And they used a combination of technologies for hydrogen, and they were able to sell back to the grid, which I thought was fascinating. I'm glad to meet you and be a part of it, but I had to go with my colleague's point of view. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a great place to be energy-efficient as well.
We actually have three programs right now in the City of Philadelphia. One is in Parkside.
With Jim (indiscernible). Then we also have a program that we did. We did some work with the 68 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 training center of -- the ECA Training Center; we have some products there. And we also are active with the Clinton Climate Initiative. So we have done some things in Philadelphia.
Thank you. Any other questions? (No further questions.)
Anyone else to testify on this bill? Please. (Witness comes forward.)
My name is Salvatore Malfasutto (sp?). I'm the roofing and construction supervisor for Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation. Councilman, I agree a hundred 69 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 percent on cool-roof plan. We actually did a pilot program roughly about five years ago with silver coating or white coating with a Karnak application, where we have like a hundred percent success, where we did a water base application and the coating. And we've never had a problem with it. The thing that we did, though, we designed a drop-down ease box, where, with putting the roof on, the ease box, we -- as you know, we had 78 inches of snow this year. We had no callbacks because the snow does not -- actually, the ice doesn't form around the ease box. So with the cool roofing and a combination of the ease box, we had no 19 problem.
One thing in regards to the application to the cool roofs. I know the Councilman was saying about -- the main thing is to have 70 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 approved applicators because if you get anybody that just goes to Home Depot, you're going to have white stuff all over the pavements, because, seriously, if they don't read the label on the can and if rain's eminent like they had years ago over on Bridesburg, it was white in July because they sprayed the roofs, rain came, and everything got washed down. So you got to make sure you have approved applicators when you do any type of roofing system.
Well, thank you. Thank you for waiting around and giving your testimony. I appreciate it.
All right. We have a couple of issues that we have to put on the record. First of all, we have letters in support from the Building Industry 71 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 Association and from the General Building Contractors Association. We have a letter of approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, which is a state requirement. Anytime the building code is changed in any municipality of the state, the state labor and Industry must approve that, and we have received that also. Additionally, there is an amendment, which I'm going to ask Councilwoman Brown to offer in a minute. I'll go quickly through the amendment's purpose. There's a number of technical amendments to the bill. We did take out the words "roof coverings over conditions, spaces on low-slope roofs on newly-constructed buildings and additions to existing buildings shall be white in color or Energy Star-rated as highly reflective." We've taken out the words "white in color" so that other pigments 72 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 and other types of reflective material could be used. Additionally, we have an exemption here for a roof: An area which is less than 3 percent of the gross floor area of the building. And that would describe basically a high-rise office building, which has much more side square footage than it has roof square footage, and the installation of a white roof on that building would be negligible in its benefits because most of the energy escapes from the sides of the building, not from the roof. So if you look at like Society Hill Towers, for example, it has much more energy released to the sides than the roof. And putting a white roof on would not in any substantial -- COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Comcast Tower.
Yeah, anything large like that. We have also taken out, because 73 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 we have already received a letter of approval from the Department of Labor and Industry of the Commonwealth, that in the end, it's also a technical amendment. We've just taken out the wording that says we have to get approval first before we can do it so that we've gotten approval. And we're adding in that the bill could be effective 35 days after it becomes law and on the date which the City Solicitor certifies to the Chief Clerk of Council the requirements of Section 503, Act 45. So that's it right there. Are there any questions on the amendments? (No questions.)
And we will then conclude our public hearing and we will start a public meeting. And the Chair recognizes Councilmember Brown for a motion on the amendments. 74 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923
Certainly. I make a motion that the amendments to Bill No. 090923 be amended as presented. (Motion duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? There are none opposed. I will now recognize Councilmember Brown on a motion on the amended bill and a suspension.
Mr. Chairman, I move that Bill No. 16 090923, as amended, be moved out of committee with a favorable recommendation, and further move that the rules of Council be suspended so as to permit first reading at our next scheduled Council session. (Motion duly seconded.)
It's been moved and seconded. All in favor, aye? 75 4.8.10 - ENVIRONMENT - BILL 090923 There are none opposed. Bill 090923 will be reported out of this committee favorably, as amended, and with a request for a rules suspension to allow for first reading at our next Council session. Thank you for your attendance, and I thank all of the witnesses for coming in. (Proceedings end at 2:15 p.m.) * * * 76 C E R T I F I C A T E I HEREBY CERTIFY that the proceedings of the City of Philadelphia Council Committee on the Environment are contained fully and accurately in the stenographic notes taken by me on Thursday, April 8, 2010, and that this is a true and correct statement of same. __________________________________ JOSEPHINE CARDILLO Registered Professional Reporter (The foregoing certification of this transcript does not apply to any reproduction of the same by any means, unless under the direct control and/or supervision of the certifying reporter.)