News Release

Energy-efficient companies celebrated

Grant and Award Announcement

Natural Resources Canada

This release is available in French

OTTAWA -- Canadian companies that excel at saving energy are being recognized by the Government of Canada. The companies received their awards at the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation's (CIPEC) Energy 2005 conference.

David McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, presented the Industrial Energy Innovator Awards on behalf of the Honourable R. John Efford, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. He was joined by CIPEC Chairman Doug Speers, Chairman of Emco Corporation.

"There are hundreds of companies that are coming up with creative ideas to improve energy efficiency," said Mr. McGuinty. "By sharing success stories, we can show what is possible and encourage further gains from industry. Working together, we can do more for the environment and the economy."

"Canadian industry has made impressive gains since CIPEC began 30 years ago," said Mr. Speers. "But industry needs to do more, and these awards are an indication of what is possible."

Industrial Energy Innovator Awards are given out for noteworthy achievements in the areas of employee awareness and training; corporate stewardship; monitoring, tracking and reporting; and integrated energy-efficiency strategy. Award winners and categories are as follows:

Integrated Energy Efficiency Strategy

  • Dura-Lite Heat Transfer Products Ltd.'s approach to energy management has pushed the envelope for industrial energy efficiency in Alberta. Its unique space-heating system combines geothermal energy and process waste heat, and is 80 percent more efficient than a standard system.
  • Maple Leaf Foods Inc. implemented an innovative employee awareness and incentive program, used statistical tracking software and retrofitted a waste-heat recovery system to increase energy efficiency by 12 percent at the company's Winnipeg facility.

    Corporate Stewardship

  • Unilever Canada, a food and beverage company, implemented employee incentive programs, energy management workshops, a Watt Watchers program and an aggressive energy-reduction target of 5 percent a year, leading to big energy savings.
  • Teknion Furniture Systems implemented an environmental charter across its 17 facilities in Canada, and the innovative ideas of its GreenWorks environmental teams have improved energy efficiency by 8 percent.

    Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting

  • General Motors of Canada developed a real-time energy-consumption reporting system to identify, monitor and track energy-conservation initiatives. As a result, its Oshawa, St. Catharines and Windsor plants reduced energy use by 6.2 percent between 2003 and 2004.
  • Pratt and Whitney Canada has reduced energy consumption by 5 percent and has developed a unique software program to accurately predict energy consumption over a 12-month period. The system helps the company improve long-term budgeting and achieve energy-efficient financial savings.

    Employee Awareness and Training

  • Cascades Inc. achieved immediate savings of 3.6 percent at its Kingsey Falls pulp and paper facility in Quebec through an employee energy-awareness week, an energy- efficiency ideas contest and a series of workshops.
  • Dofasco Inc. trained energy coordinators, who then held workshops for 500 employees at its 7,000-employee Hamilton facility, and highlighted the impact of energy use on the environment and business costs through a computer-based program. Dofasco aims to reduce energy intensity by 2.3 percent.

    CIPEC and the Industrial Energy Innovators Awards reflect the Government of Canada's approach to climate change, which is focused on making the right choices for Canada. This will ensure that the actions taken produce long-term and enduring results while maintaining a strong and growing economy.

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    FOR BROADCAST USE:
    Canadian companies that excel at saving energy are being recognized by the Government of Canada. David McGuinty, Member of Parliament for Ottawa South, presented eight companies with Industrial Energy Innovator awards at a ceremony in Ottawa this evening.

    For more information, media may contact:
    Ghyslain Charron
    Media Relations
    Natural Resources Canada
    Ottawa
    (613) 992-4447

    Tom Ormsby
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister
    Natural Resources Canada
    Ottawa
    (613) 996-2007

    NRCan's news releases and backgrounders are available at www.nrcan.gc.ca/media.

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