A analyzing and reporting project funded by the Department of Energy and managed by Penn State University, the Building Retrofit Project was coordinated by Gary Hines’ employer, the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center (DVIRC). Hines coordinated the research and data efforts for local stakeholders such as the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia. The project involved conducting research into the benefits of retrofitting older buildings for energy conservation as well as the use of cost-saving technologies.
One key part of the project was to have building owners and facilities personnel meet to discuss options and share experiences on a building retrofit. The goals were to discuss and view how integrating sustainable systems for HVAC, Electricity and Water could benefit buildings that were 50 years old or more in the Philadelphia region. Hines and a team from DVIRC coordinated a 2–day symposium for building owners; including developing a program, recruiting building owners, executing the symposium and creating reports on the findings and outcomes. The symposium event recruited 20 business owners and produced a report on retrofitting older buildings in the Philadelphia area. (2011-2013)