FortisBC recognizes sustainability with Efficiency in Action Awards

The best in Vancouver’s sustainable businesses were honoured last week during FortisBC’s Efficiency in Action Awards, a bi-annual event recognizing companies with a focus on conserving energy.

The 2015 awards and luncheon took place at the Terminal City Club on Thursday, May 7 where dozens of FortisBC customers converged with company representatives to highlight energy saving upgrades that have already saved enough energy to heat about 2,700 homes.

“We’ve teamed up with businesses across B.C. to help them upgrade to high-efficiency appliances, such as boilers, water heaters and commercial ovens,” said Sarah Smith, Director of Energy Efficiency and Conservation, FortisBC. “This energy efficient equipment helps improve our customers’ bottom lines, while at the same time, reducing potential environmental impacts from their business operations.”

Ten awards were handed out for the following achievements:

Large Multi-Family Project Award – Quadra Homes for the Yorkson Creek development in Langley

Large Single-Famly Project Award – The Limona Group for the Summerstone development in Langford

Large Commercial Project Award – Mosaic Homes for the Fremont Green development in Port Coquitlam

Custom Small Builder Award – Clay Construction

Industrial Award – Canfor

Food Service Award – White Spot

Public Sector Award – Vancouver Island Health Authority

Public Sector Award – Surrey School District

Commercial Award – Retirement Concepts

Commercial Award – Gateway Casinos

Yvonne Finley, Project Manager for Design and Construction at White Spot believes the relationship with FortisBC is necessary to benefit the province as a whole. “We strive to do good work and invest in B.C. and Canada. We strive to conserve and be energy efficient as we can,” she says.

“We have a great working relationship with Fortis. Everyone is working together to do their best. They have a lot of protocols in place that make it easy for us at White Spot to do our jobs,” Finley continued, “And we are always trying to do the best that we can to preserve energy but also maintain quality.”

Last week’s awards were the first Efficiency Awards for Fortis, but the energy distribution company plans on holding the event every other year to publicly recognize the achievements of commercial, industrial and institutional customers.