Residents of Chicago’s historic Englewood neighborhood are pointing to a new 25-foot-tall art installation at 6701 South Wentworth Avenue as a symbol of inspiration, hope, and achievement of students living in the southside community. (Learn more about the Englewood monument.)
Saagar Patel was recently named to two influential advisory boards at the state and local level where he will offer direction on policies and initiatives likely to have a major impact on the environmental future of the state.
The Illinois Energy Code Advisory Council, through the Capital Development Board, recently appointed Patel to a four-year term. He will be the Mechanical Engineer representative on the five-member group charged with offering industry viewpoints on business and other issues. The council will also be recommending modifications to the Illinois Energy Conservation Code while providing a venue for interested parties to provide comment and present issues related to the code.
Patel was also named to the Building Decarbonization Working Group for the City of Chicago. In a recent press release, Mayor Lori Lightfoot stated the group “will craft recommendations to chart a course that will dramatically reduce the emissions from the built environment and further a green economic recovery in Chicago.” Studies indicate that buildings in the city account for 70% of Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Working Group will recommend initiatives to reduce energy emissions in an equitable way “that lowers economic burdens on residents and businesses, reduces energy insecurity for communities of color, and uses an equity lens to assess the cost and impact of these strategies.” This is all part of a long-term goal towards powering 100% of buildings citywide with renewable energy by 2035.
Patel is representing the Illinois Chapter of ASHRAE, where he serves as the Sustainability Chair. Both appointments reflect Patel’s industry expertise and spirit of volunteerism.
As Operations Director for the Energy+Eco team, Saagar Patel leads by example in fulfilling our company mission to Improve Society Through the Built Environment. He is a passionate advocate for energy efficiency and sustainability and brings his expertise in those areas to design and construction.
For more information on planning for net zero, contact Saagar.
