About

Established in 2006, Practical Energy Solutions is a privately-owned energy consulting group headquartered in West Chester, Pennsylvania, with a satellite office in center city Philadelphia. We have developed a strong, independent partner network so we can tackle any size job.

We are practical. Our team offers a common-sense approach to problem-solving that produces results.

We are creative. We have structured our firm to promote creativity and flexibility from within, so we can break down your barriers to success and solve your energy challenges.

We are independent. We do not sell products. We are committed to remaining objective so we can always act in your best interest.

As a founding Certified B-Corp, we are mindful of the need for a sustainable energy future and believe it is important to have a positive impact on our environment and our communities.

“The PES team members don’t just talk the talk. They walk the walk. They commit many hours – volunteer and otherwise – to paving the way to a better energy future, for all of us.”

DVRPC Circuit Rider Project
Advisory Group Member

Meet the PES E-Team

We pride ourselves on our high level of personal service.

Paul Spiegel, P.E., LEED AP

President

As founder and President of Practical Energy Solutions, Paul is a visionary who believes in the power of people to make a difference. Paul has the unusual gift of having equally outstanding analytical and verbal skills, which he puts to good use ensuring that our clients get real, honest value when they do business with us. Paul is particularly well-known for developing creative solutions to even the most challenging problems.

Paul has extensive expertise in energy auditing, strategic energy planning, rate analyses, capital investment analyses, energy education/panel presentations, and building construction. Prior to founding Practical Energy Solutions, he was principal-in-charge or engineering project manager for numerous large-scale commercial construction projects – including the construction of Lincoln Financial Field, Citizen’s Bank Park, Kimmel Center, Wells Fargo Center, Cira Centre, the Borgata Hotel & Casino, and Philadelphia Airport Terminal A, just to name a few.

Paul's commitment also extends to the broader community. He is a Senior Member of the Association of Energy Engineers, a Business Associate Member of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials (PASBO), a board member of The Sustainable Business Network Philadelphia Chapter, and a member of the Delaware Valley Green Building Council, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the Smart Energy Initiative. He has also served his community as a participant in the ASTM Building Energy Performance Disclosure Task Force and is past-Chairman of the West Goshen Planning Commission.

Dianne Herrin, CEM, LEED AP

Vice President

Dianne brings to PES a strong personal commitment to a sustainable energy future. She combines her technical communications expertise, analytical capabilities, and strategic planning skills to help our clients see a clean, viable and positive energy path forward.

Dianne has 9 years of experience in the energy field, prior to which she spent 10 years managing her technical research and communications business. She is founder/past-Chair of West Chester Borough’s nationally recognized BLUER Committee (http://www.west-chester.com/221/BLUER). As President of Moms for the Future, Dianne championed the successful effort to convert school buses in 5 Chester County districts to a B20 biodiesel blend. She also received the 2nd annual Chester County Citizens for Climate Protection Gene Wilson Award for her community-based energy reduction and climate mitigation work.

Dianne serves on the boards of the West Chester Area Education Foundation and the Pennsylvania Green and Healthy Schools Partnership. She served on the Climate and Energy Policy Transition Team for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney and is a member of the West Chester Borough Shade Tree Commission. She has training and experience with LEED Operations + Maintenance, carbon accounting/reporting, municipal energy planning and HVAC project bidding/management, energy master planning, energy auditing and climate policy.

Robert McGreevy, P.E.

Senior HVAC Engineer

Bob has over 35 years of experience in HVAC/mechanical system evaluation and design. As President of EffectivEnergy Solutions, Bob resides with his own engineering team in the PES offices and partners with us on many HVAC projects.

He brings to PES years of deep, hands-on design expertise with all types of HVAC systems. He has worked for municipalities, schools, hospitals, and commercial building owners on design projects for central cogeneration plants, heat recovery systems, centrifugal magnetic chillers, geothermal systems, and much more.

Bob is incredibly creative and pays close attention to reducing energy use as well as cutting maintenance needs and costs, minimizing noise levels, reducing HVAC space requirements, and ensuring indoor quality. Most recently, he has championed his own "enhanced geothermal" concept, which combines the latest air filtration technologies with energy-efficient geothermal designs that work synergistically to significantly reduce sizing requirements while producing excellent indoor air quality. The end result is a highly efficient design that offers a financially superior option to conventional systems.

Bob is a licensed professional engineer, a Certified Energy Manager, and a Notre Dame mechanical engineering graduate. He served as ASHRAE's Regional Vice Chair for research and is a senior member of numerous organizations - including the American Society of Hospital Engineers and the Association of Energy Engineers.