Page 21 - Green Builder Jan-Feb 2021

Sky’s the limit. Most of Arizona’s
green energy effort stems from
solar, as evidenced by installation of
more than two dozen photovoltaic
systems and leasing of city acreage SUSTAINABLE CITIES
for solar farms.
OF THE YEAR 2021
CREDIT: ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES

community to what is possible.”
Meanwhile, Tucson in 2018 joined the 2030 Districts Network, a
collaboration of (thus far) 23 cities that have pledged to demonstrate
that sustainably built buildings can be the most valuable buildings
in the region, boosting the economy. The project’s goal, according to
Tucson 2030, is to dramatically reduce energy and water consumption,
as well as transportation emissions in new and existing structures,
by at least 50 percent by 2030. Close to 60 percent of the district’s
24 million square feet of building space is currently committed to
the effort.
Also, over the past 20 years, the city has taken advantage of
one of its greatest resources, sunlight, with the installation of 25
photovoltaic arrays — generating a total of 4.7 megawatts of solar
energy — as well as seven solar hot water heaters on city properties,
and the leasing of land for future solar farms. The city, which was
designated as a Solar American City by the U.S. Department of
Energy in 2007, has also adopted solar-ready requirements for all
new construction of single-family homes and duplexes to ensure
that future solar photovoltaic and hot water systems can be easily Resilience strategy. A tough natural environment — hot weather, drought and
installed. The city also makes information about its solar energy limited greenery — has the city of Tucson focusing on water management, energy
production and use available online. GB conservation and carbon neutrality throughout the 21st century.
CREDIT: CONGRESS13/FLICKR

Precious resources. Landscape
preservation is a huge part of Tucson’s goal
to manage environmental resources with
population growth over the next 30 years.
CREDIT: SHEILA SUND/FLICKR

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