Bright Business Awards Celebrates Nova Scotia’s Energy Efficiency Leaders
(Dartmouth, NS) – Five Nova Scotia organizations were recognized today at the sixth annual Bright Business Conference and Awards at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.
The Bright Business Awards celebrates organizations and individuals in Nova Scotia for their achievements and leadership in the field of energy efficiency. Winners include:
- Caleb Howden (Denim Homes Inc), Leadership Award;
- Energy Performance Services (EPS/Canada) Inc. (EPS), Partnership Award;
- Green Power Labs, Innovation Award;
- Cape Breton University (CBU), Community Award; and,
- Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC), Engagement Award.
The Leadership Award recognizes an individual’s leadership, contribution and impact on the energy efficiency industry in Nova Scotia or the respective industry. Mr. Howden, President/Owner of Denim Homes, located in New Minas, says he is proud to champion the cause of energy efficiency.
“Energy efficient homes should not be viewed as a luxury,” said Mr. Howden. “It should be affordable and should be our standard (in the housing industry). At Denim Homes, we believe what you don’t see makes a quality home. It’s just something you feel. We believe (energy efficiency) is fundamental to building a house.”
“I spend a lot of my personal finances and time attending energy efficiency conferences. It’s something that I believe in and it’s important to me. To be recognized is very special, especially because I have a lot of respect for Efficiency Nova Scotia. It’s a huge award for our industry.”
The Partnership Award recognizes the outstanding delivery of energy efficiency solutions, services or education by an Efficiency Nova Scotia Partner or Network Member. Energy Performance Services (EPS) of Beaconsfield, Quebec has been serving Efficiency Nova Scotia over the past six years in engaging the industrial sector with effective energy management programming.
“We are very proud to be given this recognition by Efficiency Nova Scotia. By working together with Efficiency Nova Scotia, we have been able to evolve innovative energy management solutions and help Nova Scotia industries increase their competitiveness,” said Peter Bassett, President of Energy Performance Services. “It gives us great pleasure to be able to work with an organization whose mission closely aligns with our own.”
The Innovation Award recognizes an innovative energy efficiency project, service, tool or technology that resulted in substantial energy savings and has the potential to be adopted within Nova Scotia or the respective industry. Green Power Labs is a predictive analytics company specializing in green and renewable energy, based in Dartmouth. Dr. Alexandre Pavlovski, President and CEO of Green Power Labs Inc., says Energy Efficiency is “big business.”
“For every $1 million invested in energy efficiency, there is $3-4 million in economic growth and 13 new jobs created,” said Dr. Pavlovski. “Our technology and that of other Bright Business nominees can make Nova Scotia a world leader in clean and efficient energy.
“Awards – particularly ones such as the Bright Business Awards – give us a tremendous amount of encouragement to keep getting better. Green Power Labs is working in a rapidly growing global market, and encouragement to stay focused, innovative and responsive to clients’ needs is very much welcomed.”
The Community Award recognizes a Nova Scotia city, town, village, local service district, not-for-profit organization, or group that has excelled in energy efficiency campaigns or projects. Cape Breton University is the first energy self-sufficient campus in North America and they have re-invested their energy savings into the campus.
“Our efforts have resulted in reduced carbon emissions and energy cost-savings,” Gordon MacInnis, Vice-President, Finance & Operations at Cape Breton University. “These savings have enabled us to minimize the growth of our core operating costs and enabled other strategic investments for the institution. I am proud of the efforts of our facilities management team and am pleased that CBU is being recognized as a leader in this area.”
The Engagement Award recognizes an organization’s leadership and commitment to energy efficiency in Nova Scotia through activities such as planning, project development, energy management, and employee engagement. Michael Chapman, Manager Infrastructure, Sustainability and Space Planning for the NSCC, says the recognition serves as an inspiration for the College.
“We are honoured to receive the award,” said Mr. Chapman. “It offers us the opportunity to both celebrate and acknowledge the many people whose every day activities contribute to our work on energy efficiency and sustainability efforts. It also inspires us to continue to do more.”
Mr. Chapman says the benefits of energy efficiency are multi-fold and have become a way of life at the NSCC.
“Seeking energy efficiencies is vital for any organization. Over the past nine years, the measures we have put in place have meant the College was able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by over 30 per cent,” said Mr. Chapman. “This is not only good for the environment, but the savings realized from the reduction have been reinvested in the work of the College. Embracing a culture of energy efficiency is a priority for the College. By showcasing our energy efficiency measures, we are able to educate both our future workforce as well as the communities that we serve.”
Speakers included the President of OmStout Consulting – based in Burlington, Vermont – Mike Rogers and Nova Scotia’s Energy Minister, The Honourable Geoff MacLellan.
Efficiency Nova Scotia is operated by EfficiencyOne, an independent, non-profit organization based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Since 2010, we’ve helped more than 250,000 program participants save energy and money. Efficiency Nova Scotia is your go-to place for energy saving programs and services. To learn more, click to watch Why Energy Efficiency?
For more information please contact:
David Salter
Communications & Stakeholder Lead, Efficiency Nova Scotia
Phone: 902-470-3513
Mobile: 902-414-5586
Email: dsalter@efficiencyns.ca