Ecology Action Centre wins Innovation Award at 7th Annual Bright Business Awards

October 17, 2018

 

(Halifax, N.S.) – Five winners were awarded Efficiency Nova Scotia’s Bright Business awards on October 16th.

The Engagement award recognizes an innovative energy efficiency project, service, tool or technology that resulted in substantial energy savings and has the potential to be adopted within Nova Scotia or the respective industry. Ecology Action Centre took home the Innovation Award (view video).

The Ecology Action Centre (EAC) is a respected voice on environmental issues in Nova Scotia and an important resource for community engagement. The EACs recent office renovation is a ground-breaking deep energy retrofit, that embodies the organizations values and has created a space that is cherished by staff, volunteers, members, and the community.

“We wanted to create a showcase of what is possible in an ecological renovation,” says Marla McLeod, Managing Director of Ecology Action Centre. “By the time our solar panels are up, we will have reduced our energy consumption by 89 per cent and will be using just 3 per cent of what the average office building uses. Retrofitting, rather than demolishing, not only saves energy but it also places value in existing buildings and neighborhoods.”

Throughout the project the EAC was committed to engaging with its community to gather expertise and ideas, share decision-making, give hands-on learning opportunities, and share experiences and lessons learned.  The final result of the project was a 50% increase in office space and remarkable operational energy savings including an 82% reduction in air and an 89% reduction in EUI.

“The Ecology Action Centre’s renovated space is a great of example of an organization living its ideals,” says Janet Tobin, spokesperson for Efficiency Nova Scotia. “They engaged the community and worked with partners to build a beautiful, and energy efficient buiding.”

The Bright Business Awards is now in its seventh year and recognizes organizations and individuals in Nova Scotia for their achievements and leadership in the field of energy efficiency. Other 2018 winners include:

  • Community Award: Town of Bridgewater
  • Engagement Award: CBRM Water
  • Innovation Award: Ecology Action Centre
  • Partnership Award: Thinkwell Shift
  • Leadership Award: Bill Murphy, Cape Breton Municipality

Award winners were announced during the seventh annual Bright Business Conference at the Halifax Convention Centre in Halifax on Tuesday, October 16th. Speakers included keynote speaker Jeff Reading, Innovative Partnerships, ATCO Innovation, and Ben Jessome, MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville.

Efficiency Nova Scotia is operated by EfficiencyOne, an independent, non-profit organization based in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Since 2010, we’ve helped more than 225,000 program participants save energy and money. Efficiency Nova Scotia is your go-to place for energy saving programs and services.

To learn more, click to watch Why Energy Efficiency?

 

For more information contact:

Janet Tobin
Communications Lead, Efficiency Nova Scotia
902-470-3652
jtobin@efficiencyns.ca

 

Marla McLeod, Managing Director
Ecology Action Centre
(902) 429-5287
centre@ecologyaction.ca