PECO Energy Company (PECO), a utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, has opened a completed green roof installed on top of its headquarters building at 23rd and Market Streets on January 14, 2009 in Philadelphia. The vegetative roof includes various plants ranging from four to eight inches in thickness, 3,000 square feet of the pavers, and 470 lineal feet of the railing. The green roof installed totals more than 45,000 square feet.

The roof will help decrease stormwater runoff by absorbing 60 to 70% of about 1.5 million gallons of annual rainwater that falls on the Main Office Building. The new roof also will save on heating and cooling costs by decreasing the summertime peak roof temperature by 60 to 80 degrees. It also will absorb the air pollution, which helps alleviate the common respiratory problems.

As a major business in the region and a leading corporation in the energy field, being environmentally responsible is not just a nice thing to do… it is the right thing to do, said Denis O’Brien, PECO president and chief executive officer. At PECO we are working to become a leading environmental corporation, contributing to local community environmental projects, and helping our customers protect the environment by using energy more efficiently.

This project is part of more than $15 million initiative at the company to preserve environment and help the customers become more environmentally responsible as well. Other environmental projects include the opening of the company’s first green building, the installation of a new Crown Lights messaging system at PECO’s Center City headquarters, upgrades to secure the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for many company buildings throughout the region, the increased use of hybrid and biodiesel vehicles, support for community environmental projects, and enhanced tools and programs to help the customers use energy more efficiently.

These environmental efforts contribute to and support the Exelon 2020: A Low-Carbon Roadmap, the comprehensive environmental plan of the company’s parent company. Exelon 2020 sets the goal of decreasing, offsetting or displacing more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020. The corporation will do this by decreasing or offsetting the company’s carbon footprint, helping customers decrease their greenhouse gas emissions, and providing more low-carbon electricity in the marketplace.