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Ontario homebuilding leaders celebrated at the 2007 EnerQuality Awards of Excellence - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

Ontario homebuilding leaders celebrated at the 2007 EnerQuality Awards of Excellence

Jan 17th, 2008 7:06 AM

*High-Resolution images available Attention: News/Energy/Building/Assignment Editors and Reporters Ontario homebuilding leaders celebrated at the 2007 EnerQuality Awards of Excellence Growth in energy efficient and sustainable home building generates more award categories (Toronto, January 17, 2008) Industry professionals and builders gathered today to celebrate the best in energy efficient sustainable homebuilding as the 2007 EnerQuality Awards were handed out at the Ontario Building and Renovation Forum 2008. "We received many outstanding nominees this year, all of whom demonstrated their commitment to transforming the new housing market in dramatic ways," said Corey McBurney, Managing Director of EnerQuality Corporation. “Every recipient exemplified leadership, innovation and support for energy efficient and sustainable new housing.” In fact, for the ENERGY STAR for New Homes® Builder of the Year Award (ESNH), there were so many strong candidates that organizers created three categories to recognize the range of builders who build to the rigorous ENERGY STAR guidelines. Mattamy Homes, Doug Tarry Homes and Corvinelli Homes each received the ESNH Builder Award in recognition for their work as Large (200+homes/yr), Medium (51-199 homes/yr) and Small (0-50 homes/yr) builders respectively. Empire Communities and Fusion Homes, both won the EnerGuide Builder of the Year award for their dedication to labeling homes under the EnerGuide Rating Service. Similarly, Starward Homes received the R-2000 Builder of the Year award from Natural Resources Canada for their role in upholding R-2000’s 25 year legacy of best-in-class energy efficiency. Reid’s Heritage Homes of Cambridge, was honoured with the Building Innovation and Excellence Award for their consistent technical excellence and commitment to innovation in energy efficient and green building practices. They also received the Best Green Marketing Award for leading edge projects that have attracted significant attention from the industry, media, governments and the home buying public. The Leader of the Year Award was presented to Kathleen Hunt of Enbridge Gas and to Reid’s Heritage Homes. Ms. Hunt brought Enbridge to the table as a founding partner of ENERGY STAR for New Homes and laboured tirelessly to promote and drive its growth among builders. Reid’s Heritage Homes was recognized not just as an ENERGY STAR pioneer but for “consistently leading the industry through innovative partnerships, demonstration projects and a willingness to share the fruits of their innovation,” said McBurney. Air Solutions Inc. took home the Evaluator of the Year Award and its president, Gord Cooke, was presented with the prestigious EnerQuality Hall of Fame Award for his nearly 20 years of advocacy for energy efficient new home construction. A well-respected consultant, Mr. Cooke has been a powerful force for change over the past two decades. “We wouldn’t be here today without the many years that Gord has contributed to the industry and the cause of energy efficiency,” added McBurney. -30- A full list of the 2007 EnerQuality Award winners and categories can be viewed at: http://esnewhomes.ca/Pages/news.aspx For more information, contact: Jonathan Laderoute, e|c|o, 416-972-7401, laderoutej(at)huffstrategy.com For more information about the Ontario Building & Renovation Forum 2008, visit http://www.homesontario.com/ohbaforum/ Since 1998, EnerQuality has managed R-2000, the EnerGuide Rating Service and the ENERGY STAR for New Homes initiatives in Ontario on behalf of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Through certification, training and consulting, EnerQuality promotes energy efficient housing in Ontario. They are committed to transforming Ontario’s housing into the most energy efficient and sustainable in the world. ENERGY STAR® for New Homes is a label given to homes that meet balanced, whole-house energy efficiency guidelines, guaranteeing their owners significant energy savings. New homes that receive the ENERGY STAR label are approximately 30 percent more energy efficient than those built to the minimum Ontario building code standards. The ENERGY STAR mark, used with permission, is administered and promoted in Canada by Natural Resources Canada. R-2000 certified homes offer high energy efficiency and advanced indoor air quality by incorporating tighter construction, higher insulation values and mechanical ventilation. An independent, third party expert inspects each house to ensure that it meets these requirements before it can be certified as an R-2000 home. Only licensed R-2000 builders who have been trained by the Government of Canada can build R-2000 homes. R-2000 is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada and is used with permission. EnerGuide Rating Service is a consumer empowerment rating system used to measure the energy use and efficiency of a whole house. In this program, blueprints are analyzed to assess their energy efficiency to generate ratings out of 100. For every point rise on the scale, more money is saved on utility bills. EnerGuide is an official mark of Natural Resources Canada and is used with permission. ENERGY STAR is internationally recognized as the highest energy efficiency standard on the market, making it best-in-class. The ENERGY STAR label is earned only by homes that have met strict requirements, allowing homebuyers to rely on the performance tested, third party verified, government backed ENERGY STAR label to know they are buying the most efficient house on the market. New homes that receive this label are approximately 30 percent more energy efficient than those built to the minimum Ontario Building Code standards.