takeCHARGE Announces 2019 Luminary Award Winners
St. John’s, NL – Newfoundland Power and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro held the 2nd Annual takeCHARGE Luminary Awards today. The awards recognize people, organizations and communities committed to energy efficiency. The winners were announced at an event held at the Manuals River Interpretation Centre.
“We are committed to helping our customers save energy. So far, more than 50,000 customers have received takeCHARGE rebates. Through energy efficiency upgrades, customers have saved enough electricity to power the towns of Clarenville, Gander and Stephenville for over a year,” said Byron Chubbs, Vice President, Energy Supply and Planning, Newfoundland Power. “The Luminary Award recipients are promoting and advancing energy efficiency in Newfoundland and Labrador and we appreciate their partnership.”
“We are seeing a major shift in the uptake of energy efficiency” said Carl Bishop, Manager of Customer Care and Energy Efficiency, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro. “Individuals and businesses like these dedicated award winners are leading the way and inspiring others to think and act differently.”
This year’s recipients are Seaforce Technologies; Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins; Town of Burin; Town of Rocky Harbour; Beothuck Building, managed by Martek Morgan Finch; Empowered Homes, Mysa Smart Thermostats; Reliable Heat Pump Services Ltd.; Honeywell; Neil Hawkes; Dr. David J. Goodyear; Donna Williams; Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation; YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador; Nunacor Development Corporation; Kent Building Supplies; and Canadian Tire, Labrador City. Further information on the recipients is available in the backgrounder below.
A joint initiative between Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and Newfoundland Power, takeCHARGE combines the expertise and customer reach of Newfoundland and Labrador’s two electricity utilities. We work together to bring energy efficiency awareness and savings to the residents of this province. Your utilities are here to provide a service — a reliable source of energy to run your homes and businesses. To us, that also means helping you use energy wisely through takeCHARGE. For energy efficiency tips and information on rebate programs, visit TakeChargeNL.ca today!
BACKGROUNDER
2019 LUMINARY AWARD RECIPIENTS
AWARD CATEGORY: COMMUNITY IMPACT
The Community Impact Award recognizes a city, town or municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador that has excelled in energy efficiency through activities such as campaigns, project or building development and energy management.
RECIPIENT: Town of Burin
The Town of Burin is dedicated to being energy efficient. This year, they partnered with takeCHARGE and upgraded to all electronic thermostats, installed LED lighting, draft-proofed, added insulation and installed three energy efficient pumps in their main office, garage and other municipal buildings. Their energy saving efforts continue into the holiday season, as they use LED lighting for all Christmas decorations. The Town of Burin is taking brilliant steps to save energy – and inspiring others to do the same.
RECIPIENT: Town of Rocky Harbour
The Town of Rocky Harbour has made tremendous strides forward with saving energy. The Town has installed LED lighting at the Town Office and Gros Morne Arena, 40 new LED streetlights, as well as mini-split heat pumps at the Town Office, Community Hall & Gros Morne Arena. Their efforts have also encouraged the local church and seniors 50+ Club to make energy efficient upgrades to their facilities. The Town of Rocky Harbour highly recommend that other municipalities within the province take the initiative and climb on board with energy savings improvements such as the ones that they have taken.
AWARD CATEGORY: INNOVATION
The Innovation Award recognizes a business, organization or not-for-profit whose innovative energy efficiency project or service resulted in substantial energy savings in Newfoundland and Labrador.
RECIPIENT: Beothuck Building, managed by Martek Morgan Finch
The Beothuck Building, managed by Martek Morgan Finch, utilized heat recovery, heat pumps and a remote Energy Management Control System to retrofit this 1976, 44,400 square foot, five story office building. Their goals were to improve occupant comfort, save energy and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) – and they achieved their goals! Like most energy efficiency upgrades, the benefits go beyond electricity savings. Through automated individual space temperature controls and seasonally automated adjustments for weather, they were also able to increase occupant comfort. A key service provider for this project was Energy Management Services.
RECIPIENT: Empowered Homes – Mysa Smart Thermostats
In 2018/19, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro started working with Mysa™ on a Wi-Fi Thermostat Pilot Project. Empowered Homes Mysa smart thermostat is designed specifically for baseboard heaters and allows homeowners to control their heat with their smartphone. The pilot involved the direct install of Mysa smart thermostats in select qualifying homes in the Labrador Straits area. In addition to providing energy savings for customers, this project studied how electricity usage can be reduced during peak hours by having a participating customer’s smart thermostat adjusted remotely. The team at Mysa has played a pivotal part in the development and implementation of this pilot and is helping provide valuable information for possible future programs.
AWARD CATEGORY: PARTNERSHIP
The Partnership Award recognizes the outstanding delivery of energy efficiency solutions, services or education by an organization, individual or not-for-profit.
Partnership (Residential)
RECIPIENT: Reliable Heat Pump Services Ltd.
Reliable Heat Pump Services Ltd. is focused on providing customers with energy-efficient products and solutions. Owner James Parrell-Gough is committed to giving energy-efficient services and information in an evolving heat pump market. James is a wealth of knowledge and expertise when it comes to the proper sizing of heat pumps, energy-efficient options and factors that affect efficiency. He also advocates the use of certified professionals. James has worked with takeCHARGE to increase customer understanding of heat pumps and contributed to the development of educational resources. takeCHARGE recognizes Reliable Heat Pump Services Ltd. for their outstanding delivery of energy-efficient solutions and services in the residential industry.
Partnership (Commercial)
RECIPIENT: Honeywell
Honeywell has been a long-time advocate of energy conservation and efficiency in Newfoundland and Labrador. They have partnered with takeCHARGE, and worked with local organizations and municipalities to improve the energy efficiency of numerous facilities across the island. Recent energy-efficient projects include those with the Corner Brook Arena, Western Health, Eastern Health, Town of Gander and Memorial University of Newfoundland. Through partnerships with Honeywell, customers have not only been able to save energy and money, but were able to reduce maintenance costs, create operational efficiencies and improve building comfort for staff and visitors. We are thrilled to recognize Honeywell for their outstanding delivery of energy efficiency solutions and services to our commercial customers.
Partnership
RECIPIENT: Neil Hawkes
As Sustainable Energy Coordinator with the Nunatsiavut Government, Neil has served as a key ally of Hydro’s takeCHARGE team in the Nunatsiavut communities of Labrador. He has offered invaluable insights into the needs of the Nunatsiavut community and how these can pair effectively with regional energy savings goals. Neil has helped to bring new programs to his community that led to improvements in program design and delivery. This has resulted in projects and programs that don’t just save energy, but also suit the needs of the communities they operate in. Working in partnership with local communities is key to achieving lasting energy use reduction.
AWARD CATEGORY: LEADERSHIP – INDIVIDUAL
The Leadership Award – (Individual) recognizes an individual’s leadership, contribution and impact on energy efficiency in a city or town, community or organization in Newfoundland and Labrador through activities, campaigns or project(s).
RECIPIENT: Dr. David J. Goodyear
Dr. David J. Goodyear built Newfoundland’s first passive house. Since building his home, David has aspired to develop a more sustainable lifestyle by integrating food security options including an extensive garden and underground storage cellar. He has one of Newfoundland’s only earth bermed passive solar winter greenhouses with a climate battery for storage of the sun’s energy, in order to minimize heating costs for winter growing.
David is an advocate of minimizing energy usage through thoughtful planning. He believes passive measures can be applied to many projects to save energy.
RECIPIENT: Donna Williams
Donna lives in Cartwright, Labrador and is a program representative for Hydro’s Isolated Diesel System energy efficiency program. Donna helps to promote the program, provide useful information on energy use, and install energy efficient products in homes and businesses in Makkovik, Postville, Rigolet, Black Tickle, and Paradise River. Her work has been directly linked to over 1 GWh of savings. Donna is an energy efficiency ambassador for her community and is respected for the knowledge she passes on to home and business owners. She says that she enjoys her job and goes by the old adage, pick a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
AWARD CATEGORY: LEADERSHIP – ORGANIZATION
The Leadership Award – (Organization) recognizes an establishment’s leadership and commitment to energy efficiency in Newfoundland and Labrador through activities such as planning, project development, energy management and employee engagement.
Leadership – Organization (Residential)
RECIPIENT: Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation
The Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation (NLHC) is the largest low-income rental housing landlord in the province. The NLHC is committed to making their units more energy efficient for tenants, with over 2000 units upgraded to date. These modifications include adding attic and basement insulation, ENERGY STAR windows, digital thermostats and LED light bulbs. They offer low-income home owner programs that provide funding for energy-efficient upgrades. These programs include an inspection, consultation and energy assessment to determine the most impactful energy efficient upgrades. NLHC’s Affordable Housing Program stipulates energy-efficient requirements for the construction of new homes. NLHC has learned that being energy efficient is not just about insulation upgrades – it’s a whole home approach.
Leadership – Organization (Commercial)
RECIPIENT: YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador
The YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes the importance of being energy efficient. In the past three years, they’ve made significant energy-efficient improvements to their facilities. At the Ches Penney Family YMCA in St. John’s, they’ve worked with takeCHARGE to complete a lighting project, replacing all metal-halide and fluorescent bulbs with LEDs; and made upgrades to save on water heating costs for their pool and whirl pool. The YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador also operates the Marystown YMCA. This building has been open since February 2016, and was recently awarded LEED Gold status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This is the first building in Newfoundland and Labrador to achieve such an honour. The town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay is constructing a health and wellness centre that will be operated by the YMCA of Newfoundland and Labrador. The YMCA are currently involved with the design and construction of the centre and are striving to achieve LEED status.
Leadership – Organization
RECIPIENT: Nunacor Development Corporation
Nunacor Development Corporation was incorporated in 2003, by the Labrador Metis Nation (now NunatuKavut Community Council). They are striving to reduce their environmental impact and promote sustainability. Nunacor have made considerable efforts to heighten awareness of energy consumption and increase energy efficiency in their communities. In 2019, they engaged in a takeCHARGE energy efficiency audit of their buildings in Goose Bay and Mary’s Harbour and are moving forward with installing attic insulation, LED lighting, exterior wall packs, exit signs, occupancy sensors and programmable thermostats. This past year there has also been significant focus on employee engagement. One way staff members are becoming engaged is through quarterly energy efficiency challenges, encouraging the reduction of energy consumption in their own homes.
AWARD CATEGORY: RETAIL PARTNERSHIP
The Retail Partnership Award recognizes the outstanding delivery of energy efficiency solutions, services, products or education to residential customers by a retailer in Newfoundland and Labrador.
RECIPIENT: Kent Building Supplies
Kent Building Supplies is dedicated to making energy efficiency more affordable and accessible for customers across Newfoundland. Through product offerings, marketing and great customer service, Kent is helping people in our province make energy efficient choices for their homes and businesses. With eight retail locations island-wide, Kent supports a wide range of takeCHARGE initiatives with flyers, signage, demonstrations and in-store events. It is through partnerships with retailers such as Kent Building Supplies, that takeCHARGE is able to promote energy efficiency and bring rebate programs to Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.
RECIPIENT: Canadian Tire, Labrador City
Canadian Tire, Labrador City opened in 2012, and the store provided something a lot of shoppers in Labrador West had wanted for years. From the beginning, they have worked with Hydro on several energy efficiency initiatives and have shown dedication and consistency to helping homeowners save energy and money. The store has been the top performing location for all Hydro retailers in the takeCHARGE Instant Rebate program, helping residents of Labrador City save money instantly and for years to come.
AWARD CATEGORY: THE BIG AWARD
The BIG Award recognizes a participant of the takeCHARGE Business Efficiency Program that, through energy efficient upgrades, has seen the most significant increase in their energy savings.
RECIPIENT: Seaforce Technologies
Seaforce Technologies partnered with takeCHARGE, as part of our Business Efficiency Program, to increase the energy efficiency of their building. Seaforce Technologies installed new LED lighting, air to air heat pumps and air to water heat pumps. This project resulted in over 430 MWH of energy savings.
RECIPIENT: Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins
The Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins has been an active participant in the Business Efficiency Program. In 2019, they completed a large project where in their guest rooms they replaced the electric baseboard heaters with heat pumps. This project has several benefits including energy savings and improving guest comfort. This project resulted in over 50 MWh of energy savings. In addition to this project, in 2017 Shallow Bay Motel and Cabins installed LED exit signs, LED light bulbs and occupancy sensors to improve the lighting at the hotel. They also have installed a Level 2 electric vehicle charger which attracts EV owners traveling to the Gros Morne area.