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April 22, 2020
High performance & sustainability

We hear this saying a lot these days: We're in this together.

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. It's an important milestone and a good reminder of how connected we are to each other and to our environment. As we observe this day via social distancing, it brings to light a simple truth: the actions of one individual can impact others.

Many of our long-term concerns have been eclipsed by the short-term reality, but the good news is there are measures we can take to improve our current health and well-being while making a difference on the future of our world. The built environment impacts our health - and the effects are far reaching and long-lasting. This is why at Pepper we are committed to high performance construction. We're focused on four drawdown solutions: refrigeration, solar rooftops, insulation and water savings, in addition to healthy materials.

The concept of drawdown aims to draw down greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Think of it as removing them or keeping them from getting into the atmosphere in the first place. One way to accomplish this is to incorporate tools and strategies that will create higher performing, more efficient buildings, which will be healthier for the planet and for the people who occupy the spaces inside. We believe this will have a substantial impact.

Refrigeration

Refrigeration

Refrigeration is a hot topic. Common refrigerants that are used in building mechanical systems are 10,000 times hotter than CO2. A ban on these common refrigerants will start to go into effect in five years, so we are raising awareness of next-generation refrigerants that are more environmentally friendly and compatible with future mechanical systems.

Solar

Solar

Keeping it clean. By utilizing cleaner energy sources and renewable technology – specifically solar photovoltaic panel technology – we can eliminate greenhouse gas emissions.

Insulation

Insulation

Wrap solutions around a building's envelope – the roof, walls and floor. We want to look at the thermal values that make up the building's skin so we are providing an efficient, thermally comfortable space for the occupants inside.

Water

Water

Water savings contribute more than a drop in the bucket. Many cities in America are currently running out of precious fresh-water resources. If our buildings demand less water by using low flow/flush fixtures and reclaimed water strategies, we can reduce our water demand as well as the amount of water that requires treatment, which will also reduce our community energy demand and result in less air pollution.

Improving the health of our buildings offers many benefits. High performing buildings save money, reduce CO2 emissions and have been proven to increase productivity of their occupants. This makes every project a call to action and an opportunity to leave a legacy that lasts longer than a lifetime.

About the Author

Susan Heinking

Susan Heinking, AIA, NCARB, LEED FellowSenior Vice President, High Performance and Sustainable Construction

A licensed architect and LEED Fellow, Susan has 20 years of experience designing and managing sustainability programs and initiatives within the built environment. Susan leads the High Performance and Sustainable Construction Division at Pepper Construction Group. She applies design to action by providing tools to evaluate investments, lower costs, and achieve sustainability goals for her clients. She also designs and implements innovative solutions for the construction industry, such as the Net Zero jobsite trailer that debuted at Greenbuild 2018 and the Building Performance Tool application that quickly analyzes the ROI of design and constructability options. She is the driving force behind Pepper’s companywide carbon drawdown program, inspired by Paul Hawkins’ work "Drawdown," working towards decarbonizing the construction industry. In addition, she is currently focused on leading Pepper’s Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) initiative.

Susan is an active advocate for sustainability in Chicago and other regional markets. She has initiated and participated in many influential projects and groups, such as Chicago’s Energy Benchmarking Ordinance, the AIA2030 Chicago Working Group, Chicago’s AIA COTE, RETROFIT Chicago, the Chicago Biomimicry Group, the Illinois Green Alliance Board of Directors and the Associated General Contractors of America Environmental Steering Committee.

Currently, she serves on the Illinois Energy Conservation Advisory Council, where she uses her technical expertise in commercial buildings to advocate for energy efficiency to develop a new stretch energy code for the State. She also serves on the board of Turning Point, an organization that supports domestic violence survivors in McHenry County.

Susan holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Oregon and is a frequent speaker at national sustainable conventions.

Read more about Susan's accomplishments.