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FortisBC recognizes 11 biggest energy savers in the province

January 30, 2022 – At last fall’s Efficiency in Action Awards, FortisBC Inc. and FortisBC Energy Inc. (collectively, FortisBC) recognized 11 organizations for projects that “prioritized energy efficiency leading to significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and energy savings across key sectors in the province”.

“It’s inspiring to see such a variety of organizations—from a school district to a Canadian Forces military base—find innovative ways to integrate energy efficiency into their building upgrades and demonstrate the many positive outcomes,” said Carol Suhan, FortisBC.

“Every project we undertake is viewed through the lens of sustainability, and this is why we look for the most-efficient ways to reduce energy use and GHG emissions while helping improve the spaces for our staff and patients,” said Tony Munster, Providence Health Care. “With the incentives we received from FortisBC for this project, we’re able to reallocate funding into other initiatives that will further reduce our GHG emissions for years to come.”

Let’s take a closer look at the winners…

Trellis Seniors Services Ltd. – Received the Small Commercial award for installing high-efficiency natural gas boilers, domestic hot water heaters and Energy Star natural gas cooking equipment at Hamilton Village Care Centre in Richmond.

Campbell River School District No.72 – Received the Medium Commercial award for upgrading to high-efficiency boilers at Willow Point Elementary and Phoenix Middle schools, as well as installing a condensing makeup air unit at the Southgate Middle School workshop.

Concord W1 LP – Received the Large Commercial award for installing 10 high-efficiency boilers in the Garden Lot 2 and W1 buildings in Vancouver.

Okanagan College – Received the Medium Public Sector award for upgrades at its Health Sciences Centre in Kelowna, which included upgrading the lighting and HVAC systems, as well as tightening up the building envelope. The college realized a 30% increase in energy performance compared to the baseline building code.

City of Powell River – Received the Municipal Public Sector award for installing a number of energy conservation measures at the Powell River Recreation Complex, including a natural gas condensing boiler and heat exchanger, and implementing direct digital control optimization.

Providence Health Care – Received the Provincial Public Sector award for its ongoing efforts to reduce energy use through technology. It installed a thermal gradient header system at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, which is expected to save around 16,000 GJ of annual natural gas use.

CFB Esquimalt – Received the Federal Public Sector award for its capital upgrade project, which included upgrading boilers and hot water heaters, installing a heat recovery system, and other energy conservation measures. The base is expected to achieve about a 21% reduction in GHG emissions.

Kruger Products LP – Received the Industrial award for the installation of high-efficiency equipment and performing a feasibility study for its New Westminster plant operations.

Caterina Restaurant Corp. (McDonald’s) – Received the Food Service award for particpating in various energy efficiency projects over the years. Most recently, it installed high-efficiency natural gas kitchen equipment in several restaurant locations.

Metro Vancouver Housing Corp. – Received the Innovation award for installing commercial natural gas heat pumps at a multi-family building in Vancouver, achieving 35% in annual natural gas savings.

Osoyoos Indian Band – Received the Community award for its work to retrofit 170 homes in the community by upgrading insulation, air sealing, and installing high-efficiency space and water heating systems. These measures helped reduce energy use in homes by 40%, and residents are paying $1500 to $2500 less per year on utility bills.

FortisBC provided more than $2.8 million in energy efficiency incentives to the winning organizations, helping them cover a portion of the upfront costs for these upgrades.