Features
Hydro Ottawa recognizes Canadian Tire’s conservation efforts

OTTAWA — Canadian Tire doesn't just sell energy-efficient products. Associate dealers across the country are leading through example by making efficiency upgrades to the stores themselves. In recognition of the conservation success achieved at Ottawa-area locations, Hydro Ottawa is presenting Canadian Tire with this month's Companies for Conservation award.

"Nearly 90 years after the opening of its first locations, Canadian Tire has become a fixture in communities across Canada," said Rosemarie Leclair, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hydro Ottawa Group of Companies. "Canadian Tire's influence is powerful and important. By rolling out truly impressive environmental initiatives within their stores, owners are demonstrating the value of energy conservation to all their customers.

To complement in-store recycling programs and other environmental initiatives, Canadian Tire made a commitment to switch to T8 lighting in all of their Ontario stores by 2010. As a result, the electricity demand from facility lighting will decrease by an anticipated 40 to 60 per cent.

At the Merivale location in Ottawa, Associate Dealer Robert Bonneville decided to go beyond replacing the lights alone, reducing lighting by half on the hottest days of the year, and installing a new ventilation system for better cool air circulation.

The payoff for this Canadian Tire was extraordinary. Since expanding retail space by 42 per cent in the winter of 2008, kilowatt consumption at the location has been 15.2 per cent lower than the average consumption of the previous three years.

"In this facility, what we really wanted to do was reduce electricity consumption. Other owners in Ottawa want the same as well," said Bonneville. "Making smart upgrades to each store allows us to lead by example within the community and to encourage our customers to make eco-friendly choices. The financial incentives provided by Hydro Ottawa's Electricity Retrofit Program (ERIP) certainly made the change easier for five of our local stores."

Canadian Tire is an original participating retailer in the Ontario Power Authority's 'Every Kilowatt Counts' coupon campaign. Their stores also regularly feature environmentally-friendly products in flyers and brochures.

'Companies for Conservation' is an initiative to celebrate the exciting and innovative conservation projects being undertaken by commercial electricity users in Ottawa. The program recognizes local companies or organizations for their conservation leadership.

For more information visit www.hydroottawa.com.

August 31, 2009  By Newswire