QUEST Announces Finalists for 2013 Community Energy Builder Awards

OTTAWA, Nov. 8, 2013 /CNW/ - On Nov. 8, QUEST announced the finalists for the 2013 Community Energy Builder Awards. The Community Energy Builder Awards recognize leadership and innovation in advancing smart energy communities in Canada, with a focus on three categories: Local Government, Real Estate Sector, and Utility.

The Finalists for the 2013 Community Energy Builder Awards were selected for projects, programs or plans completed in 2012-2013. They are:

In the Local Government category:

• City of Guelph, for activities that support the implementation of its Community Energy Initiative;
• Halifax Regional Municipality, for the design and launch of its Solar City program;
• City of Surrey, for the development of a district energy system in its downtown core and an Organic Biofuels facility that will turn organic waste into renewable natural gas.

In the Real Estate Sector category:

• DEC Engineering, for the development of a District Energy Sharing System in the Westhills Planned Community in Langford, BC;
• Minto Developments Inc., for the development of a number of energy efficient and integrated residential buildings;
• UniverCity, for connecting 5 buildings to a burgeoning biomass-fuelled neighbourhood energy system.

In the Utility category:

• BC Hydro, for helping communities implement community energy and emissions plans through its Sustainable Communities Program;
• Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., for the launch of its Savings By Design Program, which support developers in building more energy efficient and innovative developments;
• Horizon Utilities, for its Energy Conservation Mapping Program which helps target conservation initiatives in its territory.

Awards will be presented to winners in each category at the QUEST 2013 Gala Dinner & Awards Ceremony, taking place Wednesday November 13, at the Hilton Suites Toronto/Markham in Markham, Ontario, which is part of the QUEST 2013 Conference & Tradeshow.

"Local governments, utilities, and the real estate sector are three of the key players in advancing smart energy communities in Canada", said Michael Harcourt, Former Premier of British Columbia and Mayor of Vancouver, and Chair of QUEST. "The Community Energy Builder Awards reward leadership by these sectors, recognizing that communities are responsible for 60% of energy use in Canada and more than half of our greenhouse gas emissions."

The ingredients of a smart energy community are: the integration of conventional energy networks to match community energy needs with the most efficient energy source; the integration of land-use recognizing that bad land use decisions can create a whole lot of energy waste; and the integration of local energy opportunities including renewables. The result is increased energy efficiency while cutting costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"Smart energy communities are being successfully built all across Canada. QUEST is excited to champion this local excellence and to share these successes through the Community Energy Builder Awards," said Brent Gilmour, Executive Director of QUEST. "The awards will help QUEST showcase projects and plans in Canada that illustrate what it means to be a smart energy community and that inspire other community builders to think 'smart' in their own communities."

QUEST - Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow - is a national non-profit organization supported by a collaborative network of partners that undertakes research, policy analysis, outreach, and capacity building to advance smart energy communities in Canada.

SOURCE: QUEST - Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow

Tonja Leach - Director, Communications & Engagement
Tel: [phone] ext. 323   Email: [email protected]