Paul Spiegel — Director of Energy and Sustainability Services at Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy — was one of just five projects or community leaders awarded a 2021 Groundbreaker Award from Green Building United, the region’s leading organization on green building advocacy and education.

The annual Groundbreaker Awards celebrate green building leadership, innovation, and impact in Greater Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, and Delaware.

Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy is a family-owned engineering firm with an office in West Chester.

Spiegel is committed to the idea that people and organizations can be motivated to action when they are well educated in and guided through the process.

“I believe that motivation for change — and ultimately action toward energy efficiency — comes from education and understanding of the cost-effective benefits of clean and renewable energy.”

Working with building owners and managers throughout the region, community leaders in more than 100 local municipalities, and 75 local schools, Spiegel has advanced the adoption of energy related strategies, including energy conservation, efficiency, and renewable energy. In addition to his training programs, webinars, and in-person speaking engagements that have reached thousands of people in the Philadelphia region, he is an active member in various community groups and professional societies as a passionate advocate for energy and environmental policies that will move the region toward a clean energy economy.

Spiegel has more than 35 years of experience in building design, construction, and evaluation in the region. He co-founded Practical Energy Solutions (PES) in 2006, when he saw opportunities to provide practical guidance to building owners to improve their energy performance. (PES is now a division of Spotts, Stevens, and McCoy.) He has developed and supervised energy strategic master plans and comprehensive energy assessments for more than 250 educational, municipal, and commercial facilities. He served as an adjunct professor of Engineering at Temple University from 2004 until 2019 and is an active member in various community groups and professional societies.

“We’re continually impressed by the Groundbreaker Award project submissions and seeing how they are pushing the industry forward,” said LeAnne Harvey, Policy and Program Director of Green Building United. “This year’s awardees include a collaborative large-scale solar project, an innovative school building renovation, and leaders who have had measurable impact on their teams, industries, and the region. As businesses, cities, and countries work to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment, recognizing projects and leaders is a vital way to uphold best practices toward a carbon-neutral world.”

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